Kingdoms Apart
by Lina-chan77
Summary: T/K AU The friendship between Tommy, the Prince of Anteros, and Kimberly, the Princess of Danae, could have been a prosperous union had their two kingdoms not been torn apart by lust and betrayal.  What will become of the two now that they are enemies?
1. Prologue

Hey all! I'm back (finally) with an all new T/K fic. I know it's been forever since Not Really Good but in all honesty it's taken me that long to get back into writing mode. As some of you know, I have moved to Japan (from the US) and have been very VERY busy lately. To be quite honest this story isn't quite finished yet. Well it's mostly finished...I still have to tweak the last two chapters so for now you will all be getting weekly updates until I do. When I am satisfied with them I'll be uploading two or maybe three chapters a week (depends on how many I have left). Ok so without further ado please enjoy the prologue of my story. I know it's really short...I wanted it to be my summary but it didn't fit lol. Trust me the other chapters are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer (especially when you get further into the story).

Also...just for anyone who's new to me...my fics are completely AU (no ranger-ing) and the characters are a bit OC...this is the way my friend and I have been writing them for forever now.

One more thing...I DO NOT OWN MMPR...I really don't care who does now but I have no ownership of their characters and am in no way trying to steal them unless they want me to lol.

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><p>Where We Are Now ~Prologue~<p>

"You have your choices. Make your decision." Tommy said hatefully as he held his sword steadily at her chest ready to plunge it deep into her heart if she made the wrong decision. Kim was exhausted. Their battle had left her bloody and emotionally drained. She held her hand over the sizeable gash on her shoulder and looked up at him. She had never seen a face so full of anger and hurt in all of her life. What was more terrifying was the fact that it was all directed at her. If a stranger were to look upon the scene it would be nearly impossible to believe that the two were once friends. They would wonder what could have brought these two young people to where they were now.


	2. 1: Innocence

Chapter One : Innocence

~19 years earlier~

A young girl of only six years with a bright smile could be seen frolicking in the fields of flowers between the two kingdoms of Danae and Anteros. Her auburn pigtails bounced with every step she took as she made her way to a curious little boy whom was trying to catch a grasshopper. The day was perfect for the picnic that the two queens had planned as a play date for their royal children.

"Hey! What are you doing?" the bubbly girl asked as she looked upon the boy who was now attempting to sneak up on the insect.

"Shhhh!" the youngster said holding a finger to his lip. "I'm trying to catch a grasshopper." The girl placed both hands over her mouth and slowly walked over to the crouching boy. The boy cupped his hands and threw them over the flower that the insect had landed on.

"I got it!" he yelled and ran around in circles. The girl followed suit running after the boy cheering for his accomplishment and nearly ran into him as he came to an abrupt stop. "Do you want to see it?" the boy asked as he turned to the girl. She nodded and watched as he carefully opened up his hands. Her eyes grew big as she looked through the small opening and watched the grasshopper move around. Now realizing there was a way to escape, the grasshopper jumped free of the boy's cupped hands and onto the girl's head. Her amazement quickly turned to extreme fear as she realized there was now a rather large bug on her head. The little girl let out a high pitched scream as she ran around. The young boy tried not to laugh as he chased her hoping the insect would willingly jump back into his hands. The grasshopper finally hopped off the girl's head as she stood and cried. The boy was bewildered by her tears. There was really no reason to cry and he honestly did not like to see her doing it.

"Here. Don't cry." the boy said handing her a handful of flowers he pulled out of the ground. The little girl wiped her tears and sniffled as she took the flowers from him. The two queens couldn't help but smile at the little scene that played out before them.

"You know, I do believe that one day our kingdoms will be united by those two." Katherine, Queen of Danae, said giddily to her royal friend. Her long auburn curls gently blew in the wind. She was an extraordinary example of how her daughter would look like once she became an adult.

"It's a little early to be thinking about marriage Katherine. They're only six." Gabriella, Queen of Anteros, laughed. She watched as her son, Tommy, the prince of Anteros gently wiped the girl's tears. "Come along Tommy. We need to head home and get ready for dinner." Tommy pouted as he walked over to his mother hoping his puppy dog eyes would make her change her mind.

"Awww mom. I want to stay and play with Kimberly." Gabriella held her son's small hands in her own.

"Sweetheart, I promise you will play with her soon enough but for now it's time to go." Tommy turned to Kimberly who was already in the arms of her mother. The two waved goodbye to each other as they walked back to their respective kingdoms.

The two children of royalty grew to be the best of friends over the years. It started off as play dates so their mother's could monitor their play and catch up with each other. The play dates decreased as the years passed but the two would continue to meet with each other in the fields connecting their two homes without the supervision of their mothers. It was the year of their 11th birthday that everything began to change for them. Tommy sat on one of the higher branches of the willow tree at the edge of the field with his younger cousin Adam. Adam had come to live with Tommy and his family after his family's kingdom was destroyed by rogue warriors. These rogue warriors were beginning to become a problem to the nearby kingdoms. Adam unfortunately knew this from experience. It was because of these random attacks that the trio could only play during the day. Tommy kept an eye on the far end of the field that lay closer to Danae. It was about three in the afternoon and Kimberly was nowhere in sight.

"You're worried about her aren't you?" Adam asked as he hopped from one branch to the next. Tommy couldn't help but snicker at how much he resembled a tree frog. "What are you laughing at?" Adam pouted as he reached the branch his cousin was sitting on.

"Nothing." Tommy said trying to keep a straight face. He looked out at Danae once again and scanned the field.

"Kim's never late. Do you think something happened?" Adam asked, a worried look spreading across his face. Tommy knew what he was thinking about. He didn't know what he would do if everyone he loved was taken away from him right before his eyes. He pulled his cousin into a small hug.

"I'm sure everything is ok but let's go to Danae and make sure." Tommy said as he started to make his way down the tree.

"I don't know Tommy. If we do that we won't make it back before sundown."

"Don't worry about it Adam. I'm here to protect you." Tommy said as he waited for his cousin to make his way out of the tree. The two set off towards Danae in hopes that Kim was late due to being tied up with princess duties. The royal guard greeted them upon their arrival at the castle.

"Are you two lost?" The guard asked.

"No. I am Prince Tommy of Anteros and this is Prince Adam. We wish to speak with Princess Kimberly." Tommy said voice full of confidence. He was very proud of his title and it showed. Despite the child's confidence the guard was reluctant to believe it. It was then that King Kenneth walked past the open corridor. "King Kenneth!" Tommy yelled and waved. The guard immediately threw his hand over the boy's mouth hoping the King would ignore his name being called. Kenneth stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of the young boy's voice.

"Tommy? What are you doing here?" Kenneth asked worriedly as he approached the two boys.

"We were waiting for Kimberly in the field but she never showed." Kenneth knelt down so that he was at eye level with the boys. He had huge bags under his bloodshot hazel eyes. Why were his eyes red? Had he been crying?

"Boys. Kimberly cannot meet with you today. The Queen is very ill and we need to be with her right now."

"Is she going to be ok?" Adam asked as he hid behind Tommy. He had never met King Kenneth before. Kenneth looked down before letting out a huge sigh.

"I-I don't know." his voice broke as he spoke to the boys. The bell from the church tower chimed six times. It was then that he realized how late it was. "You two need to get home right away. Guard, you will escort these two boys back to Anteros."

"As you command sir." The guard saluted his King before grabbing the hands of the two boys. Tommy pulled his hand out of his grasp and ran back to Kenneth.

"Wait!" Tommy grabbed some flowers from the hedge and handed them to the King. "Could you please give these to Kimberly?" The King gave the caring boy a weak smile and took the flowers from him. Tommy smiled confidently before walking back to the guard who had a few choice words for him. Adam was terrified as they walked home. The sun had set and the only light they had was from the torch the guard was carrying. It made the trio stick out like a sore thumb. He had let go of the guard's hand and was now grasping onto Tommy's shirt. Tommy's eyes scanned the area as they walked. His father had taught him what to look and listen for if they were ever out after sundown. Luckily for them, it was a quiet night and they made it back to Anteros without a problem. Both boys were given a harsh talking to upon arrival after sundown and were sent to their chambers without supper. It was around nine when Tommy's mother knocked on his door. She walked in and set two plates on the desk for him and Adam.

"Don't tell your father." She said as she sat on Tommy's bed. Tommy and Adam quickly ate the food prepared for them as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. "Now would you please tell me why you ventured off to Danae knowing you wouldn't be home until after sundown?"

"We were waiting for Kimberly but she never showed. So we went to check on her." Tommy said quickly.

"Queen Katherine is very ill." Adam said as he polished off his plate. Gabriella's eyes widen as she listened.

"King Kenneth doesn't look so well either. He looks like he has been crying." Tommy added.

"Thank you for sharing that with me." Gabriella said sadly as she looked out the window towards the Kingdom in the distance.

"What's wrong mom?" Tommy asked placing his hand on hers.

"Sweetheart. Some very serious things are happening and Kimberly is going to need you both very much. I'm going to need you two to be very strong for her." Tommy and Adam nodded. Gabriella kissed both boys on the forehead before leaving them in the room. Tommy awoke the next morning to the sound of church bells ringing in the distance. They were different than the normal bells. The normal bells would go off to tell the time but these bells wouldn't stop. The tragic news reached Anteros by noon. Queen Katherine had passed away.


	3. 2: Sworn To Secrecy

Chapter Two : Sworn to Secrecy

The entire population of both Kingdoms attended the funeral. They decided to lay her to rest in the field between the kingdoms of Danae and Anteros. Kimberly held the hands of Tommy and Adam during the ceremony. Both royal families stayed behind after the funeral was over and everyone had paid their respects.

"Kenneth, I'm so sorry you had to go through this." King Thomas said as he hugged his friend. He had no idea what he would do if he lost his wife.

"Kenneth I know it will be hard for you and Kimberly for a while so, please, if you need anything just let me know." Gabriella said as she held his hands. She knew he would be grieving for quite some time considering how much he loved Katherine and raising a daughter was going to be all the more difficult.

"Thank you both." Kenneth said wiping the tears from his face. "I'm going to need to be strong for Kimberly but I don't know how I can stay strong if I don't give myself time to grieve."

"Gabriella can be there whenever you need to take some time for yourself." Thomas said hoping to be of some help to his friend. Gabriella nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder. Kimberly sat by the tree with Tommy and Adam. She let out silent tears as she leaned against the tree trunk.

"Kim you know that me and Adam are here for you right?" Tommy said hoping to be of some help. Kim looked at his confident strong smile and turned to Adam who was giving her a bright innocent smile. She nodded and looked to her father who was hugging Tommy's mother. Gabriella walked over to the trio by the tree.

"Kimberly. If it's ok with you I'd like to stay with you and your father for a couple of days." Kim smiled and nodded. It would be nice to have her over since she always thought of her as a second mother. Tommy said goodbye to his mother and Kim. He watched as Kenneth, Kimberly, and his mother walked away before following his cousin and father back to Anteros.

Kimberly lay in her bed wide awake that night. It was nice that Queen Gabriella was there but it wasn't the same. She wasn't her mother. Gabriella sat with Kenneth on his bed. He had lay down but just couldn't get to sleep. His bed was so empty now that Katherine wasn't there.

"I'm sorry Gabriella. It's going to be so hard." Kenneth said covering his eyes hoping to shield the tears that were falling. Gabriella pulled him into a tight hug.

"I can't possibly understand what you are going through but I'm going to be here for you two so just try to get some rest. Kimberly needs you to be strong for her." Kenneth nodded and lay back down thanking her. She stood and made her way to Kim's room quietly knocking on the door. Kimberly watched as she entered the room.

"How are you holding up sweetheart?" Kim shrugged her shoulders. Gabriella sat on the bed with Kimberly and pulled her into a warm embrace. Kim couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She cried as Gabriella held her and eventually fell asleep in her arms. Laying in the empty bed was more than Kenneth could handle. He couldn't be in the room. No without his wife. He wandered the quiet halls of his castle that night lost in his grief. He stopped when he glimpsed into his daughter's room. His eyes widened as he looked upon the two sleeping. Kim's tear stained face was finally without signs of pain. She looked so at peace while she slept. Gabriella looked as beautiful as ever. Something about her holding his daughter made her look even more stunning. Kenneth was instantly filled with guilt as he realized what he was thinking. He shook the sinful thoughts from his head and covered the two with a blanket before leaving the room.

The week seemed to drag on for the Hart family. Every morning Gabriella would make her way back to Anteros with Kimberly. Tommy and Adam would meet her at the field and they would spend the day together. It did help her keep her mind off things for a bit but then Kim would get a glimpse of her mother's grave and break down and cry. Just before sundown, Gabriella would meet up with the trio and walk with Kim back to Danae. Kimberly was beginning to feel guilty for having Tommy's mother spending so much time with her despite the fact that he told her it didn't bother him. He would tell her it gave him and Adam time to actually study their fighting skills. His mother had never liked him to use a sword.

After two weeks had passed, Kim decided that it was time to be strong and help her father move on. It felt wrong to keep Gabriella away from her own family. Her family would make it through this tragedy as long as they relied on each other's strength. She would let Gabriella know in the morning when they walked to the field. Kimberly woke to the sound of the church bells chiming eleven times the next morning. She was confused as to why she had woken up so late. Gabriella would usually come wake her at nine so they could eat breakfast together before heading out. Kim shrugged it off and got dressed in her usual spring like dress and made her way down to the dining hall. She was surprised to find it completely empty. Perhaps Gabriella had gone home to spend time with her family. Kim knew it was for the best. It was her turn to take care of her own family now. She grabbed a cup of coffee and made her way up to her father's chambers. She was about to open the door but stopped when she heard the sound of Gabriella's voice.

"Kenneth. I'm not sure about this." Kim was curious as to what they were discussing but it was hard to hear through the thick wooden door. She pushed the door open just a crack and could see her father holding Gabriella tightly.

"I know it's not right but I've been so lonely without Katherine. If it wasn't for you I'd be wallowing in my grief. You've helped me to live Gabriella." She gently tried to push him away.

"But if someone were to find out…"

"Nobody will find out. We'll be careful. I need you Gabriella. I love you." Kenneth said and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Kimberly watched in shock as the scene played out before her eyes. As she moved to shield her eyes from this betrayal, the cup that she had forgotten was in her hands fell to the floor. The door opened seconds after the cup shattered into pieces on the floor. Kim wanted to run but was pulled into the room by her father. The tears streamed down her face as her father attempted to make excuses for his actions. Gabriella stood by the door ashamed that they had been caught and by his daughter nonetheless.

"I know it's surprising Kimberly but you must not tell anyone about what you have seen." her father said as he held his crying child in his arms. Kim wriggled free of his hold on her.

"Are you going to continue to see each other?" Kim asked hoping the answer would be no but neither adult answered her question. "You need to go home and stay with YOUR family." Kim said defiantly as she turned to face Gabriella. The Queen could only nod in agreement.

The trip to the field was a painfully long walk in silence. Gabriella was ashamed and Kimberly was livid. It was horrible that they had been caught by the child but in all honesty, the affair had happened so quickly. Gabriella had wanted to be there for Kenneth as a friend. For the first few days, it was just that. She was there for the two whenever they needed someone to talk to, to grieve with. But the grief ended up being too much for Kenneth. Loneliness took over his emotions and eventually led him to wanting Gabriella more than just as a companion. She should have stopped him when he kissed her for the first time but she just couldn't gather the will to do it. She had always cared for Kenneth. Maybe, she thought, it would help him move on. Maybe, it was his way to grieve. Gabriella had really assumed it would have just been the one time but she was wrong. Kenneth had made his feelings clear today. Gabriella was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the shouting of her son in the distance. She gently grabbed Kim's hand to get her attention.

"Kimberly, please don't tell Tommy." She sounded like a begging child. Kim had never felt so much disgust for another human being before.

"Fine. But I'm not doing it for you." The two stopped talking as they came closer to the unaware boys. Tommy greeted his mother with a big hug. He noticed that she held him longer than she usually did. She kissed him on the forehead and walked back to Anteros alone.

"What's with her?" he asked turning to Kimberly.

"She must miss you guys a lot." She said hoping the two would not question the Queen's behavior any further. Tommy shrugged his shoulders and watched as his mother disappeared in the distance. He couldn't hide his excitement once she was gone. He and Adam shared a high five and grabbed Kim's hand.

"Do you want to see something amazing?" Tommy asked not really giving her a choice as he dragged her to the tree they often sat in. Adam ran ahead and pushed the brush and leaves aside revealing two short swords. They were not very big but they would be able to do damage if used in an actual fight. They were light weight so swinging them with force was not a problem for the two boys. Tommy and Adam held up their swords in an attempt to look like fierce warriors.

"Where did you get those?" Kim asked as she laughed at the two.

"Rocky, our teacher, gave them to us." Adam said as he examined his sword.

"Yeah my dad said we should keep them handy since there have been reports of more attacks by those rogue warriors." Kim tried not to look worried about the last comment. "No worries Kim. We'll be your knights and protect you." Tommy said with a wink as Adam nodded in agreement, same innocent sweet smile on his face. A pang of guilt struck Kim almost immediately. These boys were willing to risk their lives to protect her because they cared about her and here she was hiding such a disgusting secret from them. She watched as the two boys sparred with each other for a few minutes before she made her way over to her mother's grave. Now, more than ever, she wished her mother was there. None of this would have happened if she was still alive. Tommy made his way to his best friend while he and Adam took a break from their sparring session.

"Are you ok?" He asked placing a hand on Kim's shoulder. Kim nodded but the tears revealed her true emotions. Tommy pulled her into a gentle embrace and allowed her to vent her frustration onto his chest. He gently lifted her chin as her sobs settled down. He beamed down at her with his strong and caring smile. She had never noticed how tall he was or how handsome he had become over the years. He had somehow started to train his shaggy brown hair to stand up rather than hang in his face and his body was becoming visibly more muscular from the training he had been getting.

"I promise everything will be ok." he said quietly as he wiped a stray tear away with his thumb and gently leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. Kim stood in shock, blush quickly spreading across her cheeks. Yes, they had always been very close but neither of them had ever showed any sign of real affection for the other.

"Isn't this a touching moment?" A strange and husky voice said from a few feet away. Tommy pushed Kim behind him as Adam joined the duo. Two very brawny men approached the trio as the sky changed from blue to a golden hue. It was sundown. They should have all made their way home long ago. They had lost track of time since Gabriella had not come to escort Kim back to Danae.

"What do you two want?" Tommy asked bravely as he continued to keep Kim and Adam behind him. He wasn't sure if his little cousin would be able to handle fighting people that could have been responsible for the death of his family.

"Is it a crime to wander the fields?" The younger and less husky of the two men asked as he moved his jacket aside to reveal the hilt of his sword.

"Of course not. But I assume that is not all you're doing." Tommy said mimicking the thug's movements revealing the hilt of his sword as well. The men laughed at his bravery.

"You're either very brave or very stupid young man." the man said laughing. "It's getting late. You'd better run along home before something bad happens." Tommy nodded knowing this was probably going to be their only chance to get away. Adam grabbed Kim's hand and started leading her back towards Danae while Tommy followed a little ways behind them not wanting to turn his back on the two thugs. As Kim and Adam walked past the two, the younger one pulled out his sword and aimed it directly at Adam. Tommy was quick to intercept the blow with his short sword.

"Impressive." the younger of the two thugs said as Tommy pushed him away.

"Get her home!" Tommy yelled as he took a defensive stand against the man.

"No way. I'm going to help." Adam said pulling his sword out and pushing Kim back behind him.

"I can handle it! You have to protect her. Get her home and ring the bell three times when you are there!" Adam was reluctant to leave his cousin but decided he was right when he felt Kim pull on his shirt.

"You do the same when you get home." Adam yelled as he ran off with Kim to Danae. Tommy and the man continued to fight, each one leaving the other with a few scratches. The huskier man stood back and enjoyed the fight. They obviously had no idea who the three were or else he too would have joined the fight in hopes of having something to use in negotiations with the neighboring kingdoms. Eventually the man kicked Tommy back and put his sword away. Tommy quickly got to his feet making sure to never let his guard down.

"Thanks for the sparring match kid. You have some potential. Maybe you can join our ranks someday."

"Not likely." Tommy said finally putting his sword away. The two men laughed and waved good bye over their shoulders to the young swordsman. Tommy waited for the men to disappear from his sight before starting to make his way back to Anteros. He let out a sigh of relief as he heard a bell chiming three times in the distance. The sun had set by the time he arrived back in his kingdom. He made his way to the bell tower and signaled to Adam and Kim that he made it out ok as well. Gabriella and Thomas were ready to punish their son for being out so late but their anger vanished when they looked upon his battle worn body. He told his parents of the two rogue warriors, the fight he was involved in, and that both Kim and Adam were fine.

"I didn't realize the rogue warriors were so close to our kingdoms. Did they realize who you or Kim were?"

"No father." Tommy knew what would have happened if they had.

"From now on none of you are to meet up in that field."

"What? Father, I can handle those thugs."

"You can handle them until they find out who you are. Then they will use their real power and you will be no match for them. None of you will go there. My word is final."

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><p>Phew three chaps (2 12 I suppose, really) uploaded at once. Don't get used to it. You won't be getting this much the next time I update lol. I had to upload these three together because it just seemed to not really show anything in the story until this second chapter. I hope you are all liking it so far. I know it's not what most PR fanfics are like so it might take some getting used to. I will do my best to finish up one of the last two chapters sometime this week in between teaching, school visits, yosakoi practice, finishing my Japanese test and turning it in, NICO Touches the Walls concert, and dinner with a coworker! But even if I don't get to work on it you will be getting the next chapter update next week. So my friends, until then, enjoy and comment :)


	4. 3: Your Love is a Lie

Chapter Three : Your Love Is A Lie

Adam arrived back in Anteros early the next morning escorted by a guard from Danae. King Thomas explained his ruling on the matter of the children no longer meeting in the fields to the guard and asked him to relay the message to King Kenneth. The weeks were long and boring for the trio. Kimberly was happy that Queen Gabriella was now where she needed to be but she missed Tommy and Adam. The boys were very depressed to say the least. They continued to practice their swordsmanship with Rocky but once their lesson was over, they had nothing to do. Gabriella hated to see her son like that and decided it was time to do something for the boys.

"Sweetheart. What if I take the boys over to Danae whenever they wish to see Kimberly and bring them back home before dark?" Gabriella said during breakfast. Tommy and Adam stopped eating as they waited for the King to say something…anything. Thomas thought it over for a few minutes before agreeing.

"As long as you have knights accompanying you to and from then I have no problem with this arrangement." Tommy face brightened with his father's decision. The two boys jumped away from the table and hugged Gabriella tightly, thanking her for coming up with the idea.

Three months passed by with Gabriella taking the boys to Danae to spend time with Kimberly. Kim knew of the Queen's ulterior motives for taking the boys over but she had sworn she wouldn't say a word to the boys or let them know. The day everything changed was a cloudy and humid day. Gabriella walked with the two princes into the castle of Danae. Kimberly and her father waited in the foyer for the trio to arrive. The King and Queen greeted each other with a friendly hug.

"Tommy, your mother and I have much business to discuss. Why don't you three explore the kingdom today?" Tommy and Adam agreed. They hadn't really explored Danae before. The trio would usually spend their play time in the castle gardens. It was Kim's favorite place to be and it gave them a place where they could play freely without worry of accidentally breaking anything important. Kim rolled her eyes and grabbed the hands of the two boys, dragging them out of the castle.

"Whoa. What's wrong with you?" Tommy asked as he was dragged out into the streets of Danae.

"Nothing. Just tired." Kim said letting out a heavy sigh. _Tired of all the lying._ She thought to herself. The three friends wandered around the kingdom for a few hours before the rain came in. They had managed to make their way back to the castle seconds before the downpour began.

"Phew! We made it." Adam said trying to catch his breath. They had run through the crowds of Danae in order to get back before the rain got them.

"We might end up staying over tonight." Tommy said with a bright smile. "Mom won't want to travel in that mess." The idea sounded great at first but the three soon realized how boring it would be to be stuck in the castle all day.

"I hope the rain lets up soon. I'm so bored!" Tommy said lying on the floor of the study.

"Hey let's play hide and seek." Adam said as he sat up. Kim and Tommy tried not to laugh at his suggestion.

"Come on Adam. We're 11 now. That game is for kids." Kim said sounding more like the princess she was.

"Well it could be fun." Tommy said looking around the study and realizing just how many places there were to hide in the castle. He stood up without warning and poked Kim on the shoulder. "You're it!" he said as he ran off, Adam following close behind.

"Tommy wait! We shouldn't even be here!" Kim said trying to stop the two boys.

"Count to 50!" Tommy said pushing Adam in the opposite direction. She wouldn't be able to follow both of them if they split up. He eventually lost her amongst the twists and turns of the hallways. He hadn't been in the castle before so it was no surprise that he ended up getting lost. He stopped worrying about finding a hiding place when he lost Kimberly and decided it was the opportune time to explore. A faint sound caught his attention as he wandered the hallways. Tommy followed the sounds and deciphered them to being the sounds of two people having sex. He had heard the sounds before at his castle as he wandered his home late at night and walked in on a couple of the servants having fun with each other. His parents reprimanded them after they had to explain to their son what the two were doing. Tommy tried to suppress his laughter as he made his way towards the sounds. He came upon a large door with the kings name next to it on a plaque.

"Oh man, these servants are going to be in so much trouble for doing this in the King's chambers." Tommy said quietly to himself as he peeked through the cracked door. The sight before him was one that he would never be able to forget. It was burned into his mind forever. King Kenneth and his mother were on the bed lost in the throws of passion. Tommy turned away as quickly as he could and tried to control his breathing. It felt like no air was getting into his lungs and his chest was beginning to ache. _It's not my mom…It's not my mom…_He thought to himself repeatedly. The mantra seemed to have some effect on his ability to breath. That is until he heard his mother's name coming from Kenneth's mouth. The way he said her name sent chills down Tommy's spine. He closed his eyes and covered his ears trying to drown out the sounds but they seemed to echo in his head. How could this be happening? Why were they doing this? Why did she allow it? All of Tommy's hate was directed at the father of his best friend until he heard the words _I love you_ coming from his mother's mouth. Hearing that sent him over the edge. He stood and kicked the door in as though he were an adult. Kenneth and Gabriella turned to see the last person they ever expected. Tommy looked upon the couple with eyes that defined the very meaning of hate.

"Tommy! Sweetheart, it's not what you think." Gabriella said as she rushed to put her dress on. Kenneth followed suit although he already knew that it was too late. The damage was done. Gabriella, now dressed, rushed over to her son who had not moved an inch. She reached out to pull him into a hug, she never wanted to hurt her son. Much to her surprise, Tommy slapped her hands away and started backing away from her.

"Don't touch me!"

"Tommy, please. I never meant to hurt you. I love-"

"Shut up! Don't come near me and don't tell me you love me. I don't want to hear your lies!" Gabriella turned away to hide the tears that were starting to burn her eyes. Kenneth couldn't believe this was the same boy that he had always seen holding his mother's hand and telling her he loved her. He knew the boy had every right to be upset but he was not going to allow him to disrespect his own mother in his castle.

"Stop right there Tommy." the boy turned his look of hate from his mother to the man speaking to him. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this but it is very important that you do not tell your father what happened here." Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Of course he was going to tell his father.

"Something like this could start a war that nobody wants. Allow your mother and I to speak to him and settle this in a calm manner." Kenneth said placing a hand on the boys' shoulder. He could feel the boy shaking but made the wrong assumption thinking it was because he was sad. Tommy's anger had completely reached it's limit. Without thinking the boy pulled out his short sword and swung slicing the man's shoulder. It would have been a nasty wound if the King had not reacted in time. Gabriella ran to Kenneth and placed her hand on his now bleeding arm.

"My father is not one to start a war for a whore like her." Tommy said, the tears now running down his face, as he placed his sword back in it's sheath. "Don't bother coming home." he said looking at the woman that betrayed him and walked out of the room.

Kim had found Adam after she lost track of Tommy. The two finally made their way to the floor Tommy was on and froze when they saw him walking away from the King's room. They both noticed his tears and the speckles of blood on his shirt. Kim ran to her father's room while Adam ran to Tommy trying to stop him and find out what had happened. Kim took one look at the two adults and knew what had happened. Tommy had found out. Gabriella looked up at Kim with tears streaming down her face.

"Kimberly you have to stop him." she begged. "You don't know Thomas. He's going to start a war." Kim glared at the two and stormed out of the room after Tommy. He was the only one she held sympathy for. He was already outside in the rain making his way back to Anteros with Adam following close behind begging for some answers. Kim ran out in the rain and called out to Tommy.

"Tommy! Wait!" He stopped when he heard her voice. Everything that had just happened finally caught up with him and he fell to his knees. He yelled and punched the ground several times trying to vent out his anger.

"Why? Why are they doing this?" he asked breaking down letting the tears fall more freely.

"I don't know, Tommy. I wish I could tell you why." Kim said crying and wrapping her arms around him. He allowed her and only her to hold him. Adam still had no idea what was going on but he knew it was serious. Tommy's tears slowed as he looked towards Anteros.

"I have to go. I need to tell my father what has happened." he said and pushed himself back up to his feet. Kim grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Tommy, you can't. Your father will start a war! Please." Tommy gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean he'll start a war? Do you know what's happening?" Kim looked down at their joined hands.

"I've known for a while. I was sworn to secrecy by them." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Tommy's eyes once again conveyed exactly what he was feeling. He shook his head as he backed away from her.

"Tommy, please. I had no choice. I just lost my mother and I don't want to lose my father. I'm just as angry at them as you are but we have to keep their secret. They'll stop now that you know." Kim said taking a step toward him.

"Don't." Tommy said continuing to back away from her. "Don't come near me. I've had enough betrayal for one day." Tommy said, his sadness once again turning to anger. "You will all live to regret this." he said glaring at the girl he once considered his best friend. He turned without another word and made his way to Anteros. Adam looked down at Kim and gave her one last hug. He was still confused as to what was going on but he understood enough to know that things were not going to be the same from now on.

Adam tried his best to get Tommy to explain what had just happened but he refused to say a single word until he saw his father. The guards were immediately at his side when he made his way to the castle doors checking to make sure the blood was not his. King Thomas ran to his son's side when the word reached him that his son had walked home in the rain with blood on his clothes.

"Son! What happened? Are you hurt?" Tommy stood as still as a rock as his father inspected him. His eyes were blank, no longer holding the anger they had back at Danae. The king let out a sigh of relief when he realized the blood was not his son's. "Where is your mother?" Mother…the one word the boy never wanted to hear for the rest of his life. The scene played out in his head like a broken record.

"I have no mother!" Tommy yelled as he covered his ears and closed his eyes as tight as he could trying to drown out the images and sounds. The King was surprised by his son's sudden outburst and tried to get the boy to calm down. Tommy settled down once he felt his father's strong arms holding him.

"Please calm down." Thomas said quietly. "I need you to be calm and tell me what has happened." Tommy sniffled and wiped the tears from his face. He took a few calming breaths before telling his father everything.

"They have all betrayed us. King Kenneth, mother, and Kimberly." A stray tear fell from his eyes as he mentioned his former best friend's name. "Mother and King Kenneth have been seeing each other behind your back and everyone knew."

"Are you sure of this my son?" Thomas asked in a very serious tone. Tommy nodded.

"I saw it with my own eyes. I told her not to come back." the boy said sadly looking away. "They begged me not to tell you. They are afraid you will start a war over this." Thomas stood and paced around the foyer slowly. "Father, you are not going to do that are you?" The king stopped and turned to his son with a weak smile.

"Of course not my son. We are strong. We do not need her. We will go to Danae tomorrow and discuss this matter with the King. Now you and Adam need to go dry off and get some rest." The King had spoken calmly to his son but the two boys noticed a terrifying fire in the man's eyes.

Thomas, Tommy and Adam were escorted to Danae the following morning. The rain had continued through the night and the following day as if the skies were letting out the tears that Tommy no longer wanted to shed. Tommy and Adam stayed in the foyer of the castle while King Thomas had his meeting with Gabriella and King Kenneth. Kimberly could see the two boys from the top of the staircase. She had wanted to call out to them but knew that Tommy was more than likely still mad at her. She had done a terrible injustice to him but it wasn't something she wanted to do. She feared the kind of war Tommy's father would start.

"Do you think your father will forgive her?" Adam asked trying to break the awkward silence.

"He won't. And neither will I." Tommy said sternly. He didn't want to be in Danae. In his mind the entire Kingdom knew of his mother's affair. Being there made him feel like they were all laughing at his misfortune. Sudden heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the two royal cousins. King Thomas walked out of the throne room calmly with both Queen Gabriella and King Kenneth following behind him.

"Say goodbye to your mother Tommy and let's be on our way." King Thomas said as he began to make his way out of the castle. Tommy sent his mother a hate filled glare before turning away and following his father. Gabriella reached out and gently grabbed her son's hand. The boy pulled his hand away as if something had burned him and continued to walk away without once looking back at her.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly as the tears flowed down her face.

* * *

><p>AN: Well there you have it folks. The affair is out in the open! Yay drama! LOL  
>So the original plan was to upload one chapter a week until I finished the last two chapters of the story but I just couldn't wait anymore. I'm still working on the ending but as of now I will upload two chapters a week. Most likely on my Mondays and Fridays (for those of you in the states that would be your Sunday and Thursday) though I can't guarantee that the schedule will stay that way since my work schedule is different each week.<br>Anyways, I'm really excited that people are liking that this story is not like your usual PR story. Honestly, it had me worried and that was one of the main reasons it took me so long to upload. So thanks to all of you that have posted reviews. Keep them coming...they are like candy for my ego lol. Have a good weekend and chapter 4 will be out soon!  
>~Lina<p> 


	5. 4: Replaced

Chapter Four : Replaced

A war did not break out between the two kingdoms like Gabriella feared but the relationship between the two royal families was never the same. Business matters were the only reason the two kingdoms communicated anymore. Adam and Tommy no longer spent their days in the field that held such blissful memories nor did they visit Danae to spend time with Kimberly. The boys now focused all of their time and effort on their studies. Adam would spar with Tommy during the mornings and then spend his afternoons and evenings studying medicine. Tommy was in the middle of a sparring match with Adam when he was called up to his father's chambers.

"Tommy. I need you to take these materials to Danae." Tommy was in shock. It had been two years since he was last in Danae and he had no plans of going there any time soon.

"No. I will not go. Send one of the Knights or the servants." Tommy said defiantly.

"I'm sorry son but it has to be you. The King needs to sign off on this paperwork so that I know he received it. They won't let just anyone into the castle and you know that." King Thomas said with a heavy sigh. He really didn't want to do this to his son but there was nobody else he could send. Tommy took the box and paperwork from his father and turned away with a huff. Adam watched as his moody cousin geared up his horse for the trip.

"Where are you going?"

"Danae." Tommy said as he pulled himself up onto his horse.

"What? Why?" He knew how much Tommy hated that place and knew that only more trouble would come from his trip.

"I have to deliver whatever this is to that bastard King. Don't worry I'm just dropping it off and coming right back." Tommy said trying to put his cousin's worries at ease. Adam nodded his head and gathered his things for his medicinal studies.

"Just be careful." Tommy smiled down at his cousin and made his way to the place he hated most.

The whispers started amongst the people of Danae as soon as they saw the young prince ride in. The guards became very uneasy when he stopped at the castle. The last time the boy was there, he left their king with a long gash on arm and he was still a child. The young prince had grown a few feet and was much more muscular. His dark brown hair was now trained to stand in a fashionable way and out of his face. He no longer wore clothing he could play around in. He was proud of the fact that he was the Prince of Anteros and wore his family's crest wherever he went.

"How can we help you Prince Tommy?" the guards asked, the fear apparent in their voices.

"I'm here to deliver these materials to King Kenneth. I need him to sign these papers and verify he has received them." The guards sent a worried glance to each other before Tommy rolled his eyes and tossed the box to them. "You can inspect the box if you'd like. I have nothing to hide." he said with a confident smile.

Kimberly made her way through the crowds back to her home after finishing her shopping at the farmer's market. She too had changed over the years. Her auburn hair was much longer now reaching the small of her back. If she hadn't lived in Danae her whole life nobody would know she was of royal blood. The willful princess refused to wear the long and elaborate dresses that most royal girls would wear especially in the summer. The weather had been remarkably warm and humid for the past four days. She chose to wear a light and airy baby pink summer dress to keep herself from overheating that day. She had thought it was going to be like any other day but quickly changed her mind when she saw the strapping young Prince waiting at the doors of her castle. The guards had finished inspecting the box of herbs and led the prince into the foyer to wait for the King to join him. Kim followed her former best friend into the foyer. It had been much too long since the last time they spoke. She had opened her mouth a few times but ended up not saying anything. Tommy tried his best not to notice the shy Princess but it was nearly impossible. He hated to admit how much he missed her especially since it still hurt to remember the secret she kept from him.

"Is everyone in this Kingdom afraid of me now?" Tommy asked letting out a heavy sigh. He smiled as he turned to the statue the young Princess was hiding behind. Tommy almost regret saying anything the second he saw her step out from behind the statue. He had always thought she was beautiful but she looked even more so now.

"H-hello, Tommy." Kim couldn't help but stutter. He was very different from the way she remembered him. He was handsome yet intimidating. Tommy tried his best to stay cool. He had never felt so nervous in front of a girl before.

"Hey." he said leaning against the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What brings you to Danae? I didn't think you would ever come back." Kim said and hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding.

"I'm a glorified delivery boy today." Tommy said with a chuckle as he pointed to the box on the table. His eyes wandered her petite form from top to bottom. Kim blushed when she noticed him looking her over.

"I see. Well, welcome back. How have you been?"

"As good as I can be. How about you?"

"About the same. Just trying to keep busy and away from here when I can." Kim said and smiled. Tommy found it funny that she couldn't even stand to be in her own Kingdom. He didn't blame her though. Tommy and Kim continued their conversation for a few more minutes. The awkwardness that was present at the beginning of their conversation dissipated as they continued to talk. Tommy had completely forgotten where he was. Everything felt right when he was with her. Tommy's calm and happy mood quickly went sour when the King walked into the foyer.

"Ah, Tommy. It's so good to see you once again. It's been far too long. Don't you agree Kimberly?"

"Of course, Father." Kim said and looked at Tommy hoping things wouldn't get out of hand. Tommy's face quickly turned to a serious one when the King spoke.

"Well don't get to used to seeing me. I've only come to deliver this package and get your signature." Tommy said handing him the papers. The King let out a heavy sign and signed the papers before handing them back to the young Prince.

"Thank you for bringing these." The King said leaving the two alone once again. Tommy let out a sigh of relief. He had kept his promise and kept out of trouble. He looked to Kimberly whom also seemed relieved.

"Well, I've done what I came to do." he said closing the distance between himself and Kimberly. "It was nice to see you again." he said as he lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.

"It was nice seeing you as well, Tommy." Kim said blushing. Tommy found it hard to leave now that he was with her again.

"Hey do you want to go for a ride?" The words left his mouth before he had a chance to think about what he was doing. "That way we can both get out of here for a while."

"I would like that very much." Kim said giving him her most genuine smile. Tommy smiled a smile she hadn't seen in a very long time. He gently took her hand in his and started walking. The two had almost made their way out of the foyer but stopped when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Tommy? Is that you?" Kim could feel his body tense up at the sound of the woman's voice. She wasn't surprised when he continued to walk without turning to face her. Tommy would have walked out of the castle without stopping if he hadn't heard the sound of a baby squealing. Tommy stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face his mother. There she stood holding the cooing infant in her arms gently. He was not ready for this. He wasn't ready to be replaced.

"Is that your child?" Tommy asked reluctantly, praying it wasn't hers. Gabriella's eyes grew in horror. She turned away from his judgmental eyes and nodded slowly. Tommy could feel his chest tightening. It was a feeling he was familiar with...betrayal. She had made a new family and had forgotten all about them. He let go of Kim's hand and stormed out of the castle. The feelings of joy that he had seeing Kimberly again disappeared the second he saw his mother holding the child that she shared with King Kenneth. He pulled himself onto his horse and left as fast as he could.

Tommy arrived in Anteros very quickly. He hopped off his horse, tossed the reigns to the stableman, and headed over to his teacher's home. Tommy pounded on the door and waited for Rocky to answer. Rocky was surprised to find a very winded and pissed off Prince at his door.

"I need to spar now!" Tommy said pulling out his sword. Rocky grabbed his sword and followed the boy to the empty lot where they often practiced. Tommy fought like his life depended on it. Rocky did a good job blocking the boys' blows but eventually Tommy got the upper hand. He swung his sword knocking Rocky's sword away. Tommy raised his sword above his head ready to deliver the final blow.

"Tommy! That's enough!" Adam said as he stepped in front of Rocky with his arms stretched out. Tommy finally snapped out of his rage induced delirium and fell to his knees, dropping his sword to the ground. Adam apologized to Rocky and convinced him to leave his cousin to him. He placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder and wondered what had happened in Danae to make him snap. Tommy's breathing finally calmed to a normal pattern.

"Thanks Adam." He said as he dragged himself up to his feet.

"What happened?" Adam asked as he helped Tommy walk steadily. The adrenaline had left his body leaving him dizzy and unsteady.

"I saw my mother. I guess I just wasn't ready for that yet." Tommy lied. Adam knew he was keeping something from him but didn't feel it was right to press the issue any further. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of his cousin's blade if he were to snap again. Tommy gently pushed his cousin away from him once he regained his footing.

"Thanks. I think I'm just going to call it a night." He said as he made his way to his room. Tommy heard voices as he wandered the halls. He stopped outside his father's room and listened to the conversation.

"Danae will pay for the injustice and betrayal they have done to my family." Thomas said sternly.

"As long as we keep the facade of peace and communication with them they will never see the attack coming." Tommy couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father _was _planning to start a war. Tommy slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. The people in the room stood in horror. He was the last person they wanted to know about their plans.

"Father...when are you planning to attack Danae?" Tommy asked calmly.

"When you are old enough to take over the Kingdom. Just in case something happens to me." Thomas said looking down. Tommy would be able to take over his father's thrown when he turned 20. That gave him seven more years.

"There will be no need for me to take over for you." The King and his men sat in shock. Was the young prince going to warn the people of Danae? "I will help you accomplish this and we will defeat Danae together."

* * *

><p>AN: Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! You know these chapters seem a hell of a lot longer on Word lol. Ahh well. Hope you are all liking it so far. Thanks again for all the reviews. You know I love them. Hmmm...I'm checking my calendar and it's looking like I won't be here (here meaning near an available computer with internet access) on Friday so it could either mean an early update (Wednesday) or a day late update (Saturday) on the next chapter. We shall see. Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter titled "Where We Are Now" (that should look familiar...hint hint)  
>~Lina ^_^<p> 


	6. 5: Where We Are Now

Chapter Five : Where We Are Now

Many things changed over the seven years that passed. Anteros kept their peace with Danae though Tommy was never asked to go back. He spent his days improving his skills as a swordsman and his nights planning the attack that would eventually occur between themselves and the Kingdom of Danae. Tommy had become one of the finest fighters in Anteros. He often volunteered himself to join the Knights in whatever battles were taking place. The day was finally approaching for the war they had been preparing themselves for. Two weeks stood between them and the day that would change their lives forever. Everything was going according to plan, that is until the rogue warriors once again started attacking villages close to the two kingdoms.

"Father, there is no doubt in my mind that these attacks will make Danae increase their security." Tommy's voice was full of frustration. They had spent too much time planning for it to all fall apart now.

"Calm down son. We'll figure something out. Nothing will stop us." Tommy wasn't satisfied with his father's response. He didn't want to put off the attack so things would have a chance to calm down. He paced the room trying to think of anything that would allow them to continue with the planned war. Tommy stopped when an idea came to his mind.

"I'm going to Danae." Tommy said without a second thought. Thomas was surprised by his son's decision.

"Tommy you need to save that aggression for the attack."

"No. I have a plan. It will give me a chance to scope out their security." Thomas tried not to feel uneasy about his son's plan. The boy had grown so much over the years.

"Fine. I trust you. You can go through with your plan tomorrow but you will need to report back to me the minute you arrive back in Anteros."

"Understood." Tommy said with a confident smirk.

Tommy arrived early in Danae the next morning. The whispers began the second the young Prince arrived. It was a mixture of young girls fawning over him and older residents wondering who he was. Tommy hopped off his horse and made his way to the castle entrance.

"Can we help you sir?" The guards asked holding out their swords to block Tommy's way to the door. Tommy smirked and moved his cape to reveal his family's crest.

"I'm here to speak with the King and Queen." Tommy had surprised himself when he didn't make a face as he spoke. He was led to the foyer like he had done so many times in the past. His exterior remained confident and calm but inside Tommy was dying to start the war.

Kimberly was out and about in the Kingdom of Danae with her little sister, Keira, who was now seven years old. "Kim, can we get some more apples?" the chirpy little girl asked as she tugged on Kim's dress.

"Of course we can but we have to hurry back to the castle. Father doesn't want us out too late because of the rogue warriors." Kim said grabbing the little girl's hand. Kim walked to the fruit stand with the rambunctious girl. She lost track of the conversation she was having with her sister when she heard two locals talking nearby.

"Did you see that man that came into Danae? I heard it was the Prince of Anteros."

"Excuse me." Kim called out. "Did you just say the Prince of Anteros is here in Danae?"

"Yes Princess. The guards let him into the castle not too long ago."

"Come on, Keira. We have to get back now." Kim said paying for the apples and grabbing her little sister's hand. Tommy was already speaking to her father and Queen Gabriella when she arrived at the castle. Keira ran to her mother once they arrived at the castle. Tommy smiled when he saw the young child running to his mother. He placed a hand on her head and messed her hair up a little.

"Thank you for coming Tommy. Let your father know that I am fine with this arrangement." Tommy shook the King's hand.

"It was very good to see you again." Gabriella said wiping a tear from her eye and hugging her son. Gabriella took her daughter's hand and followed King Kenneth as he made his way upstairs to discuss the new arrangement with his guards. Kim didn't understand what was going on. The last time the Prince had been in Danae he looked as though he would never forgive any of them for all the pain they put him through.

"I'm very surprised to see you in Danae, Prince Tommy. Welcome back." Kim said in a formal tone. Tommy turned to the now grown Princess. She was even more beautiful than before but all the beauty in the world would not allow him to forget the secrets she kept from him.

"Well you're not alone in those thoughts. Your father was just as surprised." Tommy said with a smile.

"I didn't believe you would ever return here. After all, it has been seven years." Kim said not returning the smile. She was suspicious of his reason for being there. He could sense the doubt in her voice but didn't let his smile falter.

"Well Kimberly, I've done a lot of thinking in these past seven years. I was a fool to let my emotions get the better of me for so long. I can't make my mother stop loving your father. There's nothing I can do about that." He did his best to sound sincere and hoped she would stop pressing the matter. Her father trusted him why couldn't she?

"There was such hate in you the last time I saw you, Prince." Kim said. She was talking to him like a complete stranger. Tommy was tired of the tone she was taking with him. If he couldn't earn her trust then his plan would not work. It was time to get serious.

"I've been involved in several battles and I've witnessed so many people suffering. The attacks from the rogue warriors are coming closer to our Kingdoms. I don't want to have regrets. She is still my mother and I will always care for her even if I'm not thrilled with the choices she has made in life." Tommy said in a very serious tone as he approached the Princess. Kim took a small step backwards. She wasn't scared of him. She had been trained to fight to protect herself and her little sister.

"What about me? Am I to be forgiven as easily?" Kimberly soon found herself backed up against a wall. Tommy placed his hands on the wall beside her, trapping her where she stood. He could tell his presence was having some effect on her. And why wouldn't it? The two once had a very special relationship. They could have been so much more than estranged friends had she not kept those horrible secrets from him. If it was forgiveness she was seeking then she was in for great disappointment. He would never forgive her but he would, for the sake of his revenge, pretend to do so.

"How can I forgive you when you have done nothing wrong?" He said as he brought his body closer to hers.

"I-if I did nothing wrong, why not contact just me? Seven years without a word from you." Kim said putting a hand on his chest but not pushing him away. "It really hurt Tommy."

"Then allow me apologize for being a foolish child." Tommy whispered as he slowly brought his face closer to hers. The Princess bit her lip and stared into his eyes. They seemed sincere and they looked like the same eyes she had always loved.

"Apology accepted." She said softly as his lips hovered only inches away from hers. Tommy smiled that same confident smile he had always had. He was ready to seal the deal and have her trust him entirely.

"I'm telling mom!" Keira yelled as she ran off. She had apparently made her way back down to the foyer to get her apples from her sister and stumbled upon the two of them looking very intimate. Kimberly laughed and yelled back.

"I am adult little sister! Your mother can say nothing." Tommy let out a forced laugh and backed away from the Princess. Kim did her best not to show her disappointment as he moved away from her.

"Who do you think she's going to tell on? Me or you?" He joked, trying to keep the mood light despite the anger he felt from not being able to finish what he started.

"Probably both. She's a bit of a troublemaker. Reminds me of someone else I knew at that age." Kim said laughing and poking his chest. Tommy let out a little laugh. The two talked for a bit more and discussed the agreement he had made with her father.

"Basically we just came to an agreement to work together if the rogue warriors were to attack one of our Kingdoms." Tommy explained.

"That's actually rather comforting. It's hard to find men willing to fight. Our guards are strong but they aren't as strong as they could be. That worries me and keeps me awake at night. I mostly worry about my sister. She doesn't know how to fight like I do."

"So you know how to fight?" Tommy asked with great interest. A woman that knew how to fight was very attractive quality to him.

"Yes. After Keira was born, Father made sure I was taught how to. I was taught by our best Knights." Kim said full of pride. It was rare that a woman could do the things she could do.

"You and I will have to spar soon." He said knowing the truth behind that statement more than she did.

"I accept the challenge, Sir." Kim said with a curtsy and a laugh.

"Well then Princess. I need to head back to Anteros." He said taking her hand in his and placing a gentle kiss on it.

"I hope I won't have to wait another seven years. Please come back soon."

"Don't worry I will." Tommy said as walked away. As soon as he had left the Kingdom, Gabriella came out of her hiding spot. She had come down after Keira tattled on the two.

"How about you tell me what really happened? Your sister had some interesting things to say."

"Gabriella, there was nothing going on. I didn't believe your sons motives for coming here at first. He...changed my mind and proved he was here with good intentions. Nothing happened. Only a promise to return and a spar when we are able." Gabriella smiled, she knew that Kim had liked her son for a very long time.

"Nothing more?"

"No nothing more." Kim said with a sad smile. The happy mother smiled. Kim knew as much as she did how much she wanted them to be together.

Tommy kept up the charade and continued to visit Danae. He had his spar with Kimberly in which he did not display his skills. It was more to see what her weaknesses were. The day had finally come for the planned attack on Danae. They would wait for nightfall and invade the Kingdom dressed as rogue warriors. The day dragged on for Kimberly. She had been so used to seeing Tommy that the days he didn't go seemed to last way too long. Night had finally come and Kim was trying her best to get her little sister to go to sleep.

"Come on, Keira! It's late and I just want to go to sleep. You know I can't do that until you do!" Kim said getting irritated.

"You'd be able to sleep if Tommy was here." she said in a teasing voice. Kim's face was flushed almost immediately.

"That is nothing a girl of your age should be worried about! Now go to sleep." Keira squealed with laughter as her sister tickled her. The laughter stopped instantly when Gabriella rushed into the room.

"Gabriella, what's the matter?" Kim said standing up.

"Get Keira and get out of here quickly. The rogue warriors are attacking."

"Keira, get your cloak now! Gabriella what about you?" Kimberly said helping her sister and grabbing the sword she kept hidden by her bed.

"I'm going to stay with your father. You know where we're supposed to meet up. We'll be there shortly." Gabriella said hoping her words would calm the girls a bit.

"I know how to fight. I could send Keira with a few servants and stay and help!" Kim practically shouted as they ran down the hallway.

"No!" Gabriella said as she turned and grabbed the Princess' shoulders. "I need you to protect Keira. You're father and I won't be able to fight properly if we have to worry about you two . Anteros will be here soon to help us." The tears were forming in Gabriella's eyes as she spoke. She was frightened but she needed to stay strong for the girls. "Now go!" She said as she hugged Kimberly and Keira one last time.

"Come on, Keira! We can get out through the servant's corridors." Kim said pulling her sister along. _Please hurry, Tommy. _Kim thought as she ran. A few of the servants had waited for the girls to get there and they all left once they arrived. They had made their way to the garden behind the castle when a sound caught Kimberly's attention. Everyone stopped and listened to the heavy footsteps that were approaching them.

"Take Keira and get out of here. I'll follow behind as soon as I can!" Kim said and hugged her sister. Kim unsheathed her sword as they ran away from the castle gardens. Kim stood ready to fight. Her heart raced faster and faster as the footsteps grew louder. Relief washed over her as her savior walked out of the shadows of the castle.

"Tommy! Thank goodness its you! I thought it was one of the warriors attacking the castle." Kim said and moved closer to him. A satisfied smile spread across Tommy's face as she approached him with her guard down. He had fooled her. She trusted him wholeheartedly and now was the moment when he would exact his revenge for her betrayal. Tommy's charade dropped as he realized his victory and couldn't stop the laughter from escaping. Kim stopped and stared when she heard him laughing. The attack was no laughing matter and the fact that he was doing so was beginning to piss her off.

"Why are you laughing? There's nothing funny here!"

"Foolish Princess." He said as his laughter calmed down a bit. "The rogue warriors are not the ones attacking." He said in a more serious tone as he pulled out his sword.

"What? What are you doing?"

"Please tell me you understand what is happening here." Tommy said taking a step towards her, his sword pointed down. He knew her fighting style and did not feel threatened by it. Slowly, it all began to fall into place.

"It was all a lie, wasn't it?"

"Right you are Princess." Tommy said with a smile. He took pride in the fact that she had fallen for his lies.

"I will not go without a fight!" Kim said, determination in her voice.

"Whenever you're ready." Tommy said as he took a defensive stance. _This was going to be fun_. Tommy thought as Kim ran at him with her sword. Every swing was blocked and it seemed like he was putting no effort into the battle. It was nothing like the other times they had sparred with each other. Had he just been toying with her? Tommy let Kim swing at him repeatedly before getting very bored with the fight. He blocked her swing with his sword and used his foot to push her away. Kimberly fell back onto the floor and was ready to push herself up to her feet when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her right shoulder. She cried out from the pain and looked to see what exactly was causing it. She was very surprised to see Tommy's sword penetrating her shoulder. Kim couldn't believe what was happening. Tommy pulled the sword from the poor girl's shoulder, causing another groan to escape Kim's lips, and pointed it at her chest.

"You were holding back the whole time!" Kim yelled as the tears that had stung her eyes fell freely. A satisfied smirk spread across Tommy's face. "Do whatever you want with me. All that matters is Keira is safe." Kim said looking away from the man she had once considered her friend.

"Keep this in mind, I'm the only one in Anteros who knows you have a sister." Kim was a bit taken back by his statement. Why hadn't he told anyone about Keira? Kim was pulled from her thoughts as he continued. "I'm going to give you two choices. You can either come with me or I can kill you and find Keira so she can take your place." Kim couldn't believe what he was saying. This was not the same man that she had once considered a friend. The Tommy she knew would never hurt her. He had promised to protect her when they were younger. How could he threaten her? Had their relationship really changed that much? This all had to be a bad dream, right? The pain in her shoulder reminded her of the reality of it all.

"You have your choices. Make your decision." Tommy said hatefully as he held his sword steadily at her chest ready to plunge it deep into her heart if she made the wrong decision. Kim was exhausted. Their battle left her bloody and emotionally drained. She held her hand over the sizeable gash on her shoulder and looked up at him. She had never seen a face so full of anger and hurt in all of her life. What was more terrifying was the fact that it was all directed at her.

"Do what you must." Kim said bitterly. She didn't want to think about what he had in store for her. Tommy smirked as he kicked the girl's sword away and placed his back in it's sheath. He tore a few pieces of fabric from his cloak and used it to tie her hands behind her back and to cover the wound on the her shoulder.

"Can't have you dying before we get to Anteros."

"You're too generous, Prince." Kim said sarcastically. Tommy led the girl from the castle and on onto his horse. She quickly took notice that the castle was the only thing being attacked. The citizens of Danae had awoken to the sounds of the attack and stayed locked in their homes praying the warriors wouldn't decide to attack them next. Kimberly couldn't help but cry as she looked back and watched the castle, her home, burning down.

Adam waited by the entrance of the Kingdom of Anteros. He had been there since Tommy and the rest of the Knights had left. His heart raced as he saw the sky light up with an orange glow over the Kingdom of Danae. They had actually gone through with the attack. Tommy had told him of the attack right before leaving to "prepare" him for what was to come. King Thomas soon joined Adam at the entrance. He had wanted to be apart of the attack on Danae but Tommy wouldn't have him risk it. The first group of Knights to arrive back at Anteros were accompanied by King Kenneth and Queen Gabriella. King Thomas had a very difficult time hiding his satisfaction at seeing both of them detained.

"Why are you doing this Thomas?" Gabriella asked as she stood before him. Thomas frowned down at his former queen.

"Do you really have to ask that Gabriella? After everything that you've done to me…to your son are you really going to ask me what you did wrong? Let me give you some time so that you can think it over. Take them both to the dungeon." Thomas followed as the two were led away by the Knights. Adam, however, waited. Tommy's figure finally appeared in the distance after about an hour or so. Adam frowned when he noticed Kimberly's petite figure slumped in his lap. Tommy slid off of his horse and handed the passed out Princess to his cousin. Adam stumbled a bit as she was, quite literally, thrown into his arms.

"She's lost a lot of blood from that gash in her shoulder. Fix her up for me." Tommy said as he pulled himself back onto his horse.

"Wait! Where are you going? The King and Queen have already been captured."

"I'm going to get our men out of there and let the citizens of Danae know what has happened." Adam watched as his cousin disappeared once again. He looked down at the battered girl and prayed that Tommy had not been the one that inflicted this wound on her.

It was nearly dawn when Tommy arrived back in Danae. He gathered his Knights and sent them back to Anteros. He made his way down to the bell tower and rang it several times hoping to gather the citizens of the now fallen Kingdom. The citizens of Danae slowly made their way out to the bell tower, still frightened from the recent attack. Tommy stood at the steps of the bell tower and waited as more people made their way to him. The citizens stood and watched as the Prince of Anteros stood before them, bloody and dirty.

"Good citizens of Danae. I, Prince Tommy of Anteros, am not here to do you any harm. I have come here to tell you that you have all been living in a Kingdom of lies. Your King was once a good King when he had his Queen by his side. When Queen Katherine passed he decided he no longer needed to be a good King to you all. He seduced Queen Gabriella and stole her away from the family that needed her. All the while your innocent little Princess knew but did nothing to stop it. Well, I say, you have all been deceived long enough. I am going to make you all an offer. You may stay in Danae and watch your Kingdom crumble with no one to rule it and live in fear of the possibility of an attack from the rogue warriors. Or you can come to Anteros, a Kingdom free of lies, and start a new life. Our Knights have seen countless battles and will stop at nothing to protect our people. Come to Anteros and, so long as I am alive, you will be protected. My Kingdom is open to you all if you so choose to live there." The crowd was silent after he had finished his speech and parted as he made his way out of the broken Kingdom and back to his own. They were all confused. They had all come to know of the King falling in love with Queen Gabriella and had been somewhat angry at him moving on so quickly after the passing of Queen Katherine. None of them wanted to leave Danae. It was their home. The decision came quickly as they weighed their options and realized how dangerous it would be to stay. The citizens went to their homes and began packing their belongings nervous and a bit scared of starting a new life in Anteros.

* * *

><p>AN: And there's the second update for the week! Woot for keeping updates sort of on schedule lol. So we've finally caught up to where the story began. Tommy has certainly exacted his revenge on the people that betrayed him but now what? What could he possibly have in mind for Kim and her family now that they are prisoners of Anteros? Find out in the next chapter ( I promise no more teaser "to be continued trailers" like this in anymore of my author notes lol) Oh next chapter should be up either this Sunday (your Saturday) or Monday (your Sunday)...also if you haven't noticed...I update in the morning which is usually late evening for yall. Ahhh time differences suck so much! Till next time my friends!  
>~Lina<p> 


	7. 6: Stuck With You

Chapter Six: Stuck With You

Tommy sluggishly walked into the castle once he returned to Anteros. It had been an extremely long night. He had finally gotten his revenge on the people that had lied to him throughout his life. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The anger, the hatred, the revenge he had sought out had finally left his mind and body. Everything was finally right in his world. He plopped down on his bed and was ready to let sleep consume him. Tommy closed his eyes and waited...and waited...and waited but sleep he so desperately wanted never came. There was a nagging thought at the back of his mind that was not allowing him to rest peacefully.

_What now? _What was going to happen now? He had never discussed the outcome with his father. The only thing that mattered during those seven years of planning was making King Kenneth and all those that betrayed him suffer. Tommy tried to push the annoying thoughts out of his mind and let himself get some rest. He shouldn't care about what happened to them now but for some very strange reason it did. He dragged himself out of bed, grumbled to himself about his conscious being a meddling bastard, and made his way down to the throne room. If he planned on getting any sleep that night, he'd have to talk to his father. Tommy could hear the sounds of excited voices and talking growing louder as he came closer to the throne room. The source of the noise was coming from the dining hall. Apparently the Knights of Anteros had taken it upon themselves to throw a celebration for the successful attack on Danae. The room erupted in cheers from the Knights when they saw their Prince walk into the room. It had been a successful attack and he would love nothing more than to celebrate with his comrades but at the moment he more concerned with speaking to his father. King Thomas, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Young Prince! Join us in our celebration! The King said he would be down shortly to join in the fun as well." One of the Knights spoke as he pulled Tommy to one of the tables offering him a mug of beer. Tommy reluctantly sat down with his comrades and took a few drinks. He listened on and off to the random conversations that were going on simultaneously.

"That attack was probably the easiest ones we've had in a while." Another Knight said as he drank. Tommy nodded as he remembered several previous battles that had left him pretty badly injured.

"Too bad we weren't able to bring back any of the women for ourselves." Nicholas said as he took a seat next to the Prince. Tommy rolled his eyes at the young Knight's comment. Nicholas Spyro was very different from the other Knights. The most noticeable difference was his age. Nicholas was the youngest of the Knights, only being a few years older than Tommy. His other noticeable difference was his attitude. Nicholas was not one who liked being ordered around and hated even more so to be ordered by someone younger than himself. Needless to say, Nicholas did not treat Tommy like the Prince he was. Despite his age and attitude, Nicholas was quite the skilled Knight. He had a thirst for battle that was never quenched. If he wasn't off fighting in a battle, he could be found starting small fights in the local taverns. Women were his only vice. Well, they were the only things that could keep his twisted need for blood-lust at bay. Nicholas could often be found in his room with a random woman in his bed, especially after battles. He didn't seem all too thrilled with the fact that the attack left him without someone to snuggle with that night. Tommy looked over at the pouting Knight. He took it upon himself to explain the reason for the battle after a few other Knights agreed with Nicholas' comment.

"This attack was not meant to bring the citizens of Danae back as slaves. It was meant to destroy Kenneth and make him pay for all the shit he put my father and I through." Tommy said as he finished off his beer.

"Well we did manage to bring a couple of hostages back with us, didn't we Prince?" Nicholas said sending a smirk in Tommy's direction. "The King and Queen are locked up in the dungeon but what about the Princess? She would make a lovely little slave, don't you think?" The other Knights sat silently waiting to see what the Prince's thoughts were on the subject. They knew the boy had grown up with the Princess but also knew he had grown to hate all the royal members of Danae. Tommy ignored the shudder that crawled up his spine when Nicholas mentioned using Kimberly as a slave and poured himself another beer.

"The Princess will join her father in the dungeon as soon as she heals up."

"Oh come on. Turning the Princess into a slave would definitely piss off that asshole of a King and please the one who owns her." Nicholas said with a laugh. A deep and hearty laugh soon joined his.

"That's not a bad idea Nicholas." King Thomas said as he joined the group of Knights at the table. Nicholas' eyes lit up with excitement. The King had heard his request and was going to grant him the Princess.

"Father you can't possibly be considering this." Tommy said in disbelief.

"Why not? It would give me the opportunity to do further damage to Kenneth's pride." Tommy sat back and tried to think of something to stop this rash decision from being made. He saw the smug smile that spread across Nicholas' face. The Knight seemed quite satisfied knowing that he would soon have someone in his bed with him. Tommy tried his best to not care about the situation. She and her family deserved the worst possible treatment for what they had done to him, his father and their own kingdom. But, for some odd reason, the thought of Nicholas having his way with Kimberly made Tommy's stomach turn. His grip on his mug tightened as the images of what was no doubt in store for Kimberly had she become Nicholas' slave. He would rather she stay in the dungeon for the rest of her life than be subjected to his sick fantasies.

"I want her to be mine." Tommy said without thinking.

"What?" Both the King and Nicholas said as if on cue.

"I claim her as my own. She will be my slave!" Tommy said as he stood and stormed out of the room.

"I knew he had it in him!" King Thomas smiled and raised his mug with the Knights.

All of the knights, with the exception of Nicholas, laughed and cheered along with the King. Nicholas, who was now extremely pissed off over the fact that Tommy had taken his slave from him, had snuck out of the throne room and began to wander aimlessly around the castle. The sound of breaking glass and swearing that would make a sailor blush could be heard in the distance. He quickly found the source to be Tommy destroying random things in his own room. It seemed that he wasn't too happy with the fact that he would be stuck with the Princess after all. Nicholas snickered to himself and decided it might be a good time to introduce himself to the beautiful royal. He made his way down to the infirmary and was pleased to find that he was the only one in there paying a visit. Kim was sound asleep on a bed not too far from the door. From what he could see, she had been changed into an oversized man's dress shirt. He pulled the shirt back over her shoulder and looked over her wounds, letting out a small whistle.

"Wow. That Prince did a number on you." he said quietly. Kim started to move and the pain that shot through her shoulder immediately woke her.

"Where am I?" Nicholas wasn't expecting the Princess to wake up while he was there. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and did his best to hold her still.

"Whoa there Princess. Try not to move around too much. It will probably hurt a lot less if you do."

"W-what's...where am I? Who are you?" Kim asked as she attempted to get up. "Ow! What happened?" Adam had heard Kim's cries and rushed to her side only to find Nicholas holding her down. He moved away when he looked up at Adam and received the look of death from the usual happy-go-lucky man.

"Anything I can help you with Spyro?" Adam asked dryly as he checked on Kim's shoulder. He knew of the Knight's reputation with women and wasn't too happy seeing him so close to Kim.

"No I'm fine. I just came by for a visit." Nicholas said as he sat back and relaxed on a nearby chair.

"Adam? What's going on?" Kim said and tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by Adam.

"Stay still. I don't want you to tear your stitches." He said as he began to fill a needle with a clear liquid.

"Where am I? And what is that for?" Kim said, fear beginning to rise in her voice.

"This is my infirmary. Tommy made you my responsibility after you passed out on the ride here." Adam said as he prepped her arm for the needle. "And this is for the pain." Kim was usually afraid of needles but she trusted Adam. Besides, the cool sensation that ran through her veins felt far better than the intense pain in her shoulder.

"What does that bastard cousin of yours have planned for me?" Kim asked.

"Well." Nicholas spoke up even though neither were talking to him. "It seems as though you are now the Prince's slave. I supposed you are just going to have to ask him what he has in store for you." Both Adam and Kim stared at him shocked by the answer he gave.

"Who are you?" Kim asked not liking the smug look that was plastered on the man's face.

"How rude of me to not have introduced myself. My name is Nicholas Spyro. I am one of the top Knights of Anteros." Nicholas said waiting for the beautiful Princess to swoon over his good looks and high status. He cleared his throat and continued when he only received uncaring stares from Kim and Adam. "I know about you being the Prince's slave because I was there when he said it. I was celebrating our most recent victory with the Knights and some of them suggested how nice it would be to have you as a slave. The Prince seemed to agree with this idea and claimed you for himself." Yes, he had twisted the truth a little but she didn't need to know that.

"He hates me. Why would he want me as his slave?"

"I don't know Princess. You'll have to ask him that yourself." As if on cue, Tommy barged into the infirmary and made his way to the trio. He sent a hard glare in Nicholas' direction upon noticing his close proximity to Kimberly.

"I can see I'm not welcome here." Nicholas said as he made his way out. "Get well soon Princess." Tommy looked at Adam and showed his fists to him which were now severely cut and bleeding down his arm. Adam shook his head and sighed.

"Sit and try not to bleed all over the floor." He said as he walked away to get what he needed to fix him up. Tommy sat on the empty bed next to Kim's not saying a single word.

"Is it true what that man just told me?" Kim asked staring in the direction that Adam had run off. Silence was the only answer she was given.

"Do you really intend to keep me as your personal slave?" Kim asked rather annoyed by his refusal to answer or even look at her. _Fucking Nicholas! _Tommy bitterly thought to himself. It was bad enough that he had managed to get himself stuck with her, the last thing he wanted to do was have a conversation about it.

"Yes, you belong to me now." Tommy said with a frustrated huff.

"Why?" Kim asked suspiciously. _That's a good question_. Tommy thought as he racked his brain for an answer. Why had he spoken up? What exactly was it that made him want to keep Nicholas away from her? It certainly wasn't jealousy. And it wasn't that he cared about what happened to her.

"You know, after all the shit you put me through, the least you can do is answer my questions Tommy." Kim said trying not to let the tears fall from her eyes. She had had enough of his immature silent treatment.

"All the shit **I **put **you** through? You've got to be fucking kidding me." Tommy couldn't believe she had the audacity to try and put the blame on him. "Kim, you and your family have had this coming for a long time now."

"Oh grow up! Do you think you were the only one hurt by everything that happened?"

"Yes! I was the only one. I was the one left without a mother and without a friend. You were the one person I thought I could trust but I was wrong." Adam hurried back to the duo, with bandages and antiseptic in tote, and noted the daggers they were glaring at each other.

"Alright, break it up you two." Adam said as he quickly cleaned and dressed Tommy's cut hands. There was a tense silence in the air as Adam hurriedly fixed up his cousin.

"Thanks Adam." Tommy said as he made his way to the door. The short amount of time spent in the infirmary with Kim had driven him to his breaking point. He just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

"No problem. I'm used to your stupidity and your reckless ways." Adam said as the door slammed shut. He turned to check on Kim but paused when he noticed the tears falling from her eyes. She had done her best to hold them back but they flowed freely now that Tommy was gone. She didn't want him to see her cry. Kim was surprised when a tissue appeared in front of her face.

"I'm sorry this has happened to you. I had no idea that this had been in planning for so long. If only I had known. I could have stopped it somehow." Adam said becoming more upset with himself. Why hadn't he realized it all sooner?

"It's not your fault Adam." Kim said as she took the tissue and wiped her tears. Adam shook his head still wishing he could have done more to prevent everything from happening. Kim smiled sadly at the boy she hadn't seen in so many years. The last time they had seen each other was the day he and Tommy found out about the affair. He had grown so much. He was taller, more handsome, and definitely more mature but she could also see that he was emotionally drained. No doubt from the stress of living with his reckless cousin. Kim could feel the medication start to kick in. Her eyes were becoming heavier and sleep was willing itself upon her.

"Do you know if my father is alive?" Kim asked as she fought off the effects of the strong mediation.

"Your father and Gabriella are fine. They are down in the dungeon right now. They had some minor injuries but I fixed them right up so don't worry." Adam said giving her a weak smile.

"Thank you." Kim said sleepily as her fluttered shut. Memories of the trio of friends invaded her mind. She had missed them dearly and wished everyday that things could have gone back to those peaceful days. Adam let out a heavy sigh when he saw the battered Princess finally fall asleep. He began to gather his equipment so that he too may get some rest that night but stopped when he heard her mumbling.

"I never wanted to lose either one of you." She said as she dreamed. Adam could feel his chest tighten as he watched a stray tear roll down her cheek.

"I know, me too." Adam said quietly. He had never wanted any of this to happen either.

The citizens of Danae made their way to their new home as the days passed on. Tommy did his best to help out when he was needed. He wanted the new citizens to live a peaceful life and he wanted them to feel welcome. The new residents were very worried at first but found the hospitality from the citizens of Anteros and the Prince to be exactly what they needed.

"Thank you so much for everything young Prince." a new Anteros citizen said.

"No problem. Now remember if there is anything you or your family needs you can find me or my father at the castle." Tommy said with a charming smile. It had been an extremely long day for Tommy as he had helped several families move to their new home. What he needed was a nice, long, hot bath. He dragged his tired body to his room and prepared the sauna like bath that his body was begging for. He disrobed and slowly dipped his body into the water letting out a long sigh as he did so.

Kimberly had woken up in the infirmary around mid afternoon. Her shoulder was feeling much better now which was a good and bad thing for her. Good because the pain was no longer there but bad because she would now have to start her new life as a slave.

"Hey." Adam said as he walked over to her. "How's the shoulder feeling?"

"It's feeling better, thank you." He smiled as he gave her shoulder a quick check up. The poking and prodding no longer stung with his every touch like they had when she first arrived there.

"Well it looks like you are well enough and no longer need my care." He said as he backed up and took a seat on the bed next to hers.

"So, I guess this means you have to take me to Tommy." He rubbed the back of his head and nodded. He knew she didn't want to go but it was probably better that she stayed with him. Nothing would happen to her if she was in his care...well nothing more would happen to her.

"Come on. I'll take you there." Adam said holding his hand out for Kim. She gave him a small smile and graciously took his hand. Adam was amazed that Kim had managed make her over-sized borrowed clothes work for her. Kim still looked rather pretty despite being stuck in his dress shirt and pair of pants. Adam had changed her into a current attire after he cleaned her wounds the night of the attack. He blushed profusely at having to see her in just her undergarments and was grateful that she was unconscious at the time. Adam knew Kim was dreading going to Tommy's room so he took it upon himself to give her a mini tour of the castle. He showed her the quickest way to get around the castle and made it a point to tell her to stay away from the Knights' chambers. The last thing he needed was for Nicholas to find her wandering the halls alone. They soon found themselves at their intended destination. Adam knocked on the door and let out a frustrated sigh when there was no answer.

"Figures. He's hardly ever in his room. Especially right now since he's helping the people of Danae move in. I guess you should just wait here till he gets back. If you need anything you know where to find me." Adam said as he waved good bye to the Princess and made his way back to the infirmary. Kimberly eyed the room carefully. She had never been to his room. He and Adam had always been the ones visiting her when they were younger. She noticed the broken mirror in the corner and assumed that was what he took his anger out on that night he came to the infirmary. She continued her investigation of the room and found a picture frame face down on a shelf. Kim carefully picked it up and couldn't help but smile at the picture she didn't remember being taken. It showed the trio smiling happily, her in the middle and the two boys at her sides. She closed her eyes and wished things could be like they once were. The sound of a door opening snapped her out of her thoughts and startled her to the point where she dropped the picture. The glass from the frame broke upon contact with the floor. Kim let out a small curse as she kneeled down and began picking up the broken glass. Tommy had heard the door to his room open and close. He figured it was Adam coming in to check on when he was going to take Kim off his hands. He sighed and decided it was probably time to get out of the now lukewarm water. He had planned on taking his time to dry off and get dressed but changed his mind when he heard the sound of glass breaking. He threw the towel around his waist and opened the door only to find Kimberly down on the floor picking up broken glass. Kim looked up at the half naked Prince. She tried hard not to stare but it was so hard not to. His wet chestnut brown hair hung slightly over his face and dripped water onto his naked chest. Kim unknowingly blushed as she watched a single bead of water drip slowly down his hard chest and absorb into the towel tied around his waist.

"What are you doing?" Tommy said as he looked down at the girl. He didn't notice the redness that rose to her cheeks. Kim wasn't paying attention to what she was doing and cut her finger on the glass she was picking up.

"Ow! Adam brought me up here and I accidentally dropped this picture." Tommy rolled his eyes and walked over to the flustered girl, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to his room. Kim's mind was now in a full panic. He was half naked and dragging her to his room. She had an idea of the "duties" she would have to fulfill now that she was his slave but had not thought she would have to fulfill them on the first day. She started to pull her arm away from his strong grip but stopped when he tugged her closer to him.

"Knock it off." He said sternly as he led her to the bathroom. He twisted the handle on the sink allowing cold water to flow from the faucet and placed her hand under the running water. Kim's fears subsided for a bit but rose again when he pushed her body back against the counter of the sink and pressed himself against her. Tommy reached behind her for the cabinet and found a small box of bandages and antiseptic. Adam had given it to him so he could tend to his smaller wounds on his own. Tommy turned off the water and carefully dried Kim's finger.

"This is going to sting." He said as he poured the antiseptic over her cut. Kim winced as the antiseptic did it's job cleaning away any infectious germs that had planned on getting into the open wound. Without thinking Tommy pulled her hand to his face and blew gently on the cut. Once again Kim could feel the heat rising to her face. Why was he caring for her? And why was it having such an effect on her? He had stolen her home, her family, her life away from her. She hated him with every fiber of her being. But, when he treated her with kindness she couldn't help but be reminded of the past. It was this caring attitude and loving behavior that had made her fall in love with him when they were younger. Tommy pulled a bandage from the box and wrapped it around her finger. He cleaned his mess and walked out of the bathroom without a single word. He gathered some clothes and threw them on his bed before looking back at Kim who was holding her injured hand against her chest. Tommy cleared his throat to get her attention.

"What?" Kim asked still stuck on why he had taken care of her small cut.

"Get out." Tommy said and started to pull at his towel. Kim made a beeline for the door and shut it as soon as she was on the other side. Tommy dressed quickly and was surprised to find her picking up the glass.

"Don't cut yourself again." he said sarcastically as he plopped down on the couch. The bath had relaxed him but the muscles began to miss the warmth of the water and were now becoming sore.

"Sorry about the picture." Kim said ignoring his sarcastic warning. Tommy watched as she threw the broken glass into a bin and place the picture back onto the shelf. A frown quickly found its way to his face as he realized what picture she was referring to. He pushed himself off of the couch and made his way to her.

"Don't worry about it. I had intended to throw it away a long time ago. I guess I just never got around to it." Tommy said as he snatched the picture off the shelf. He walked to the nearby bin and threw it in amongst the broken glass and other garbage. Kim glared at the back of his head as he did so. This was going to be a lot more difficult to tolerate if he planned on being an ass any time they were together. Kim let out a tired sigh. _No I have to do this. If I don't, Keira will be the one to suffer. _ Kim thought to herself.

"Do you need anything, Prince? Is there anything you want me to do?"

"Stop calling me Prince!" He said shortly, the frustration very apparent in his voice.

"What would you have me call you then?" Kim asked trying not to let her building frustration show in her tone.

"Just call me by my name." He said as he leaned against the wall. The way he stood made him look like a small child who was not happy about not getting his way. The tension was high between them. He never wanted her as a slave to begin with. In fact he had hoped to never see her or her family after the attack but now he was stuck with her.

"Will you please let me know what it is you expect of me, **Tommy**?" Kim said with emphasis on his name. Tommy pushed himself off the wall and walked to the door. He couldn't be around her, not right now, not ever!

"I expect nothing of you." He said before exiting the room.

* * *

><p>AN: I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY! I was a lot busier this week than I had originally thought I would be. Also, totally didn't have a weekend...soooooo tired! You **will ** have two chapters this week though so that's good news. So you're getting this chapter today and the next chapter on my Friday. Again so so sorry. No pitchforks please T.T Ok, hope yall enjoyed this chapter. I'm off to work on the next one! Talk to yall later!  
>~Lina<p> 


	8. 7: Life of a Slave

Chapter 7 - Life of a Slave

Kim flinched as the door slammed shut. _Why? Why did he have to be such a complete ass all of the time?_ She wondered as she rubbed her temples hoping to prevent the headache that was wanting to come on. Kim let out a frustrated huff and silently thanked God for giving her a break. She had honestly feared the worst when she received the news about becoming his slave. He was a man and she was a woman. What other reason could he have possibly had for claiming her as his own? Her worries had subsided a bit when he left. It was completely obvious that he had no intention of using her as a concubine. What she couldn't understand was the reasoning behind it all. He could barely stand to be in the same room with her for more than five minutes. The feeling was mutual of course. So why bother with the frustrations? Why not send her to the dungeon with her family? Sure the conditions would probably be worse, but she'd be with her family and more importantly, she'd be away from Tommy. Kim grabbed the empty frame from the shelf and walked over to the garbage bin. There was no point in keeping a frame that no longer had glass or a picture. She paused when she noticed the photo still sitting in one piece atop the mess. Tommy hadn't crumpled it or torn it to pieces. Kim pulled it out and hid it in her pocket. She didn't want to forget about their past, even if he did.

Tommy leaned back against the now closed door and let out another heavy sigh. It seemed like he would be doing that more often. Being around her was so frustrating to him.

"What's wrong Tommy? Is your slave not satisfying your needs?" Nicholas said as he walked down the hall towards the Prince. Tommy had been so lost in thought that he had not heard the cocky Knight's footsteps.

"I have no needs for her to satisfy. I would not lower myself to have any sort of relation with that girl." Tommy said sternly as he pushed himself off the door. He made a point to bump the Knight as he walked past him to his father's chamber.

"I'll gladly take her off your hands if you're going to let her go to waste." Nicholas said with a confident smirk.

"I'd like to see you try." Tommy said as he continued down the hallway. Nicholas couldn't help but let out a chuckle as the pouting Prince stormed down the hallway. He had certainly hit a nerve but he wasn't too worried about it. A mischievous smile spread across his face as he studied the door that led to the Prince's room.

Tommy took a deep breath before entering his father's room. King Thomas was pleased to see his son. He had never been so proud of his child as he had been in the past week. He overthrew a kingdom, convinced citizens from said kingdom to move to his own, and forced the Princess to be his slave.

"Tommy! How is my boy doing?" He said pulling Tommy into a strong hug. "What's on your mind son?" King Thomas asked, knowing that his son wouldn't bother him unless it was important.

"Father, what is going to happen to them now?" Tommy asked without waiting. He wanted to know what his father had planned now that the hard part was done. He had wanted to ask his father that question since the night of the attack but had been so busy with everything that he hadn't had the time to squeeze in the talk.

"Are you worried about them?" confusion apparent in the King's voice.

"No. Not at all. I just need to know what is going to happen now." The King sat quietly for a few moments, stroking his short beard as he thought. An all-knowing smile spread across his face as he stood and placed his hands on his son's shoulders.

"What would you do with them?" Thomas asked.

"You want me to decide?" Tommy asked, a bit taken aback by his father's question.

"My son. You have the makings of becoming a great King. I know you will make the right choice." Thomas had full confidence in his son. Tommy had no idea what to do with them now that he had accomplished what he had set out to do. He thought of all the hardship he and his father had been through because of them.

"They will stay in the dungeon until the day they die." There was no doubt in Tommy's voice as he spoke out the punishment.

"So shall it be done." Thomas smiled and pat his son on the shoulder. "Now go enjoy the rest of the day and enjoy that slave of yours." Thomas said with a wink before giving his son a small push out of the room and closed the door.

Kimberly was a little more than surprised when someone knocked on the door only minutes after Tommy had left. She opened the door hoping to find Adam standing on the other side but was greeted by Nicholas instead.

"Prince Tommy isn't here right now. Is there something I can do for you, ummm Nicholas?"

"Glad you remembered my name Princess." he said with a charming smile. "But, I didn't come here to see the Prince." Nicholas said as he leaned on the door frame bringing himself a little closer to Kimberly.

"Oh? May I assume that you're here to see me?" Kim asked unenthusiastically. She wasn't in the mood to hear his failed attempts at pick up lines.

"Yes, you may assume that. I just wanted to come and check on you. Our Prince isn't one to be too hospitable."

"I'm fine, thank you." Kim lied hoping it would be enough to send him on his way.

"Is that so?" Nicholas said not believing her excuse. Kim looked up at the man who seemed genuinely interested in her well-being. _Perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy._ Kim thought as she remembered how he had come to check on her in the infirmary. Yes, he had delivered bad news and Adam wasn't too fond of him but what had he done to her to make him untrustworthy in her books? Would it be so bad to open up to him?

"I just don't understand why he chose me as his slave." Kim said tiredly.

"I suppose he just wants to make a fool of you by forcing you to serve him."

"He hasn't succeeded yet. I have yet to act as any form of a slave. He expects nothing of me."

"Well Princess, _I _would never treat you with such cruelty." Nicholas said as he took a step closer to her. Kim's mind screamed out a warning as he moved in closer. He was a crafty fellow and had managed to slyly sneak into a position that would not allow her to slam the door on him.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll gladly show you the way you should be treated." He whispered as he moved dangerously close to her lips.

"I'm going to kindly ask that you please back away, Sir." Kim warned in a low tone. Ok, so it was a bad thing to trust him. Adam had warned her to stay away from the Knights and now she could see why. Nicholas couldn't help but smirk at the small threat.

"I'll take my chances." He said as he swiftly closed the gap bringing his lips onto hers. He smiled inwardly. _I knew she wanted me._

_Who does this man think he is? _Kim thought letting out a low growl. She did the first thing that came to mind and brought her knee up connecting it with his groin. Nicholas groaned and pulled away instantly. He was thankful for the wall across from the door that was there to hold him up as he tried to breath through the pain.

"You little bitch." He said in a strained and pained voice. There was no way he was going to let this girl do that to him.

"I gave you a fair warning." Kim said as she glared at the injured man. She attempted to close the door but Nicholas recovered too quickly. He held the door open with one hand and raised his other hand to strike her. He would have brought it down across her face but something held him back. He looked up to see what was stopping him from retaliating and found a very pissed off Prince glaring back at him and holding his wrist. Tommy had noticed the two as he walked back to his room after speaking to his father. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with Nicholas but seeing him get a swift kick more than made his day.

"Did you see what she did to me?" Nicholas asked as he returned the glare.

"You had it coming." Tommy said pulling Nicholas away from Kimberly and giving him a hard push leaving him back against the wall. "If I were you, I'd think twice before messing with something that belongs to me." Tommy said giving Kim a nudge back inside the room and slamming the door leaving Nicholas alone in the hall. Tommy sighed as he pulled Kim to the couch and gave her a small push making her sit on it.

"Stop causing trouble for me." He said with a tired voice as he made his way to his bedroom.

"How am I causing trouble for you?"

"You're hitting a Knight. You are no longer a Princess. He is ranked higher than you Kimberly. You could get killed for that."

"So, what he did was fine? He deserved that. The simple fact that I am no longer a Princess means nothing. I am still a woman and any woman deserves more respect than that. No matter what their "rank" is. He had no right to put his disgusting lips on mine." She said as she rubbed the back of her hand against her lips desperately trying to get the taste of him off of her. Tommy let out a frustrated groan. Why did every conversation with this girl turn into a fight? She was his slave...she should just nod and agree with him.

"Look, everyone in this Kingdom knows not to mess with anything that belongs to me. I'll just have to give him an extra _talking_ to so he'll be reminded." Tommy said hoping she would stop this nonsense.

"Belongs to you? Were you not listening? You may have 'claimed' me as your slave but I do not belong to you or anyone else! I am still my own person." Tommy was in her face in an instant. Kim leaned back as far as the couch would allow and realized she was trapped as he placed his arms on either side of and brought his face close to hers.

"Let's get one thing straight here. You are my slave so guess what...you DO belong to me. You are mine whether you like it or not." Tommy said in a dangerously low and serious tone. It was time she realized her place in his Kingdom. Kim didn't like feeling trapped. She placed her hands on his chest and attempted to push him away from her. Tommy started to laugh at her weak attempt to push him away but stopped when he felt his hands slipping on the couch. He reached out and caught himself before he could knock heads with her but wasn't able to stop his lips from falling down onto hers. It took a few seconds for the two to realize what exactly was happening. Tommy quickly pulled away and made a beeline for the door.

Tommy didn't come back that night, nor had he slept in his own room any other night during the following week. He was doing anything he could to keep away from Kimberly. With the exception of the accidental kiss they had shared, Tommy had kept true to his word. He hadn't expected anything of her and he never lay a hand on her. The only times she saw the young Prince was when he came back to bathe, change and eat. Adam, however, made sure to visit Kimberly everyday. The visits had started off as a way for him to check on her wound but eventually turned into times to reminisce and chat. Adam and Kim sat on the small balcony that overlooked the Kingdom. Kim was tired of being stuck in the room but she was pretty sure there was probably nothing that could be done about that.

"I need to go out into Anteros and get some supplies. Would you like to join me?" Adam asked after he heard Kim's heavy sigh as she looked longingly at the people walking around.

"Could I? I don't want you to get in any sort of trouble." Adam couldn't help but smile. Despite how miserable she was being stuck in the castle, she was still concerned with his well being.

"Don't worry about it. If anyone asks then we'll just say I borrowed you to help me carry everything." Adam said with a wink. Kim smiled and hugged him tightly before running off to get her shoes. He had to admit that the air was a lot lighter around the castle with Kimberly around, well when Tommy wasn't around that is. It felt good to have someone to talk to again. He knew taking her out into the kingdom was probably a REALLY bad idea but he just couldn't stand the thought of her being stuck in that room any longer.

Adam kept Kim close to him as they wandered through the Kingdom. The new inhabitants of Anteros whispered among each other as they watched their former princess walking around. They had had no idea what had happened to the royal family after the attack. A few of them let out a sigh of relief being thankful that at least she was doing alright.

"We're going to be out for a while. That idiot cousin of mine is so accident prone that I need to restock everything. If you get tired just let me know and I'll take you back." Adam said hoping she didn't feel uncomfortable being out among her former citizens. He could only imagine how awkward it made her feel to be seen in her current attire.

"You'll probably tire before I do!" Kim said with a giggle and linked her arm with his. Kim could care less how she looked. She was just thankful she was out of that castle. Adam smiled and led the former Princess in and out of several small shops. Adam was the quintessential definition of a gentleman. Despite the fact that she was a slave and that he had told her she would accompany him to carry his things, he hadn't given her a single bag.

"You know, Adam. I'm not exactly helping if my arms are empty." Kim said with a laugh. He gave her the same boyish grin he had when they were younger and inspected the bags he was carrying before handing her two small bags.

"Here you go." He said and wandered off to find more things to buy. Kim couldn't help but let out a small laugh when she realized he had given her the bags that held only bandages. She was about to follow Adam on his quest for medical equipment when she felt someone tugging on her shirt. She turned to see the familiar face of an elderly woman whom was once a citizen of Danae.

"Is it really you?" Kim grabbed the lady by the hand and led her into the shop.

"I'm Kimberly yes, but please don't say anything further." The old woman understood and tried to hold back the tears. Adam looked over at the scene. Kimberly was trying her best to comfort the woman. He let out a heavy sigh and made his way to the two.

"I'm so glad that you are alright. We were all so worried." The old woman said between sobs. Adam placed a reassuring hand on the woman's trembling shoulder and let her know that everyone was alright. The old woman gave Kimberly a quick hug before walking out of the shop with a big grin on her face.

"Thank you Adam. The last thing I needed was a big scene and having Tommy find out." Kim said with a sigh. "There's no telling how he would react seeing that." Adam nodded knowing exactly what she meant. He already knew that if he saw them out he wouldn't be too thrilled.

"Well, let's not worry about that right now. I'm all done with shopping." Kim looked somewhat disappointed by his comment. She had to admit, though awkward, she was having a good time getting out of that castle.

"Oh come on don't pout. It's your turn to shop."

"My turn? What am I supposed to buy?" Kim asked smiling. She had always loved to shop and never needed an excuse in the past.

"Well we can't have you wearing men's clothes all the time, now can we?" Adam said as he led her to another small shop. Kim's eyes wandered over the vast amount of dresses the small shop carried before looking back at Adam for approval. He simply took the two small bags out of her arms and nodded his head. Kim smiled and began to search for something more comfortable and more feminine. She found a dress that was perfect but continued to look a little further into the shop.

"I'm almost done, Adam. I can't thank you enough." Kim was yelling from the back of the store by now. Adam let out a small chuckle as he got comfortable on a chair near the entrance. Kim continued to dig through the dresses. She had no idea how she was going to thank Adam for this gift.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Kim froze at the sound of the Prince's voice. She closed her eyes and waited for the verbal onslaught that she was sure she was about to receive. She slowly opened her eyes when she heard laughter instead of yelling. She turned and noticed the open window and looked out only to find the Tommy mingling with the citizens. His smile...she hadn't seen that in quite some time. He was so different when he was around the people of Anteros. He was more like the Tommy she remembered. She watched for a few moments as he played with a couple of children. He cared so much for his people and did so much for the former citizens of Danae. Was keeping a secret from him when she was a child really a good enough reason to treat her like scum? How could he hold a grudge like that for so long for something she was forced to do? She would definitely ask him these questions the next time he came back to the castle. Well that is if he stayed long enough for them to have an actual conversation. It was bound to lead to another fight between the two but it was something she had already become used to.

"Young Prince, would you be so kind as to help us move some of these boxes inside?" an older gentleman asked. Tommy smiled and agreed to help. Kim ducked down when she noticed him look her way. Tommy paused when his eyes caught glimpse of the empty window. He could have sworn someone was there a second ago. He was pulled from his thoughts when the man called out to him again. Kim peeked over the ledge to make sure he was gone. She decided that she had had enough fun for the day and it would be best to get back to the castle before he noticed she was gone.

"Ok, Adam. I found it. I think we should head back to the castle now." Adam frowned when she came out still wearing the oversized shirt and pants.

"Well, where's the dress?" Adam asked confused.

"Ummmm...right here." Kim said holding it up. She had it draped over her shoulder.

"Come on now...You didn't make me wait here all this time just so you could look at dresses. Go put it on and we'll head out."

"Are you sure? I mean I could just put it on when we get back." Kim said with a nervous laugh. Adam gave her a small pout and crossed his arms against his chest. Kim rolled her eyes at his behavior. _Yup, he's definitely related to Tommy._ She thought to herself. Kim reluctantly walked back to the dressing area and changed. It did feel better to be in the dress and the color always looked good on her. Adam's mouth nearly hit the floor when she walked out in her new dress. It really did look much better on her than draped over her. The soft pink fabric seemed to pop out amongst the black fabric that clung tightly to her waist. It was simple yet still elegant.

"What is it with you and pink?" he asked after he closed his mouth.

"I'm a girl!" Kim said laughing and twirling.

"Well you look good dressed as a girl." Adam said giving her a little wink and handing her the two light weight bags. "Shall we?"

"Thank you, kind sir." Kim said and bowed. Kim and Adam made their way back to the castle slowly. She hadn't told him that Tommy was out and about but she secretly prayed they didn't run into him.

"Shit." Adam said under his breath and it was enough for Kim to know that her prayers had not been answered. "Let's find another way back." Kim pleaded.

"Just look away and he won't be able to recognize you. He still thinks you're in his chambers." Adam whispered and hoped his plan would work. Tommy leaned back against the fence that was near the house of the people he had just helped finish moving in. Helping the people of Danae move to Anteros had been hard work but it kept him away from that infuriating Princess so he didn't mind. Tommy had taken off his shirt and wrapped it around his waist to relieve himself of the heat. The young woman that lived in the house had been eyeing the Prince all day and greatly appreciated the sight of the attractive royal trying to cool off. She grabbed a glass of water and sauntered over to the Prince as seductively as she could.

"Would you like some water, Prince. You look HOT." Tommy looked over the girl from head to toe. He had to admit she was trying a little too hard but she was beautiful so he wouldn't hold it against her.

"I would love some water, my lady." Tommy said smiling the same charming smile he shared with all the ladies of his Kingdom.

"Well you are welcome to all you want. What's mine is yours." The woman smiled back at him. Tommy graciously took the glass and had a couple of drinks before taking a hold of the girl's hand and placing a small kiss on it. "Thank you very much."

"My pleasure, Prince." The girl said now blushing. Kimberly tried her best not to gag as she heard the conversation between the two. She didn't think that Tommy was into girls that were so fake but then again she didn't know _this_ Tommy. The Prince continued to flirt with the young woman but stopped when a vision in pink walked past him. The woman didn't like the fact that she was being ignored and turned to see what, or rather who, had stolen his attention. It wasn't until Tommy looked to the man that was accompanying the young woman that he spoke up.

"Adam? Is that you? When did you get a girlfriend?" Adam had to think quickly. If Tommy found out Kim was out and about with him there would be hell to pay.

"We just bumped into each other while I was stocking up on supplies." Adam said hoping Tommy would drop it and let them leave. Unfortunately, the Prince wasn't one to pass up on introducing himself to a pretty face. Tommy walked over to the duo and held out a hand to Kimberly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Tommy." He said giving the same smile he gave to the young maiden. Tommy's smile disappeared when the young woman turned around and he realized who she was. The frown that she had gotten so used to seeing lately appeared almost instantly. Tommy turned away from Kimberly and faced his cousin.

"What is the meaning of this Adam? Why is she out here and why is she wearing that?" Tommy asked doing his best to hold in his anger.

"I needed to stock up on supplies Tommy. I can't carry all this shit by myself so I borrowed her for the day." Adam said with a heavy sigh. He knew this was going to get bad but there was no way he was going to back down. He had done nothing wrong. The young woman looked upon the girl that stood in the pink dress. It took some time but she finally realized that the woman standing before her was her former Princess. She walked over to the Prince and bowed down before Kimberly.

"Oh, no. Please..." Kim started to say trying to stop the poor girl from doing something that would only infuriate Tommy more.

"Princess, we've all been so worried about you!" The girl said. Tommy gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder getting her attention immediately.

"This girl is no longer your Princess. She has become a slave to Anteros. You may have done things differently in Danae but in Anteros we never bow to a slave." Tommy said sending a glare in Kim's direction.

"My apologies, my Prince." The girl said standing up and sending Kim a sympathetic look. Kim did her best not to show how much his words stung her but she could feel the tears starting to well up. Tommy had crossed the line and Adam wasn't going to let him slide with treating Kim like that.

"Wait a minute Tommy. That was uncalled for." Adam started but was cut off by Tommy.

"Finish your shopping and take her back to my chambers." Tommy said sternly not even turning to acknowledge him.

"I am not one of your servants to boss around!" Adam did not like the way he was being talked to and was ready to fight it out with Tommy. The Prince finally turned to face his cousin. The fire in his eyes was intimidating but Adam didn't back down.

"Do not defy me cousin." Tommy said in a very serious tone before turning back to the woman and walked away from the two people he did not want to see anymore. Adam glared at the back of Tommy's head. He couldn't believe he had just threatened him. Adam was beyond pissed off and decided to take it out on the nearby fence. He let out a string of curses mixed in with Tommy's name as he kicked the fence repeatedly. He stopped when he felt Kimberly grab his arm.

"Adam, can we just go please. It was a bad idea to come out here." Never in her life had she been more humiliated. "Please let's leave." Kim said. The tears she was trying to hold back were now running down her cheeks. He sent one final glare to the house before grabbing Kim's hand and taking her back to the castle.

"Adam, I'm really sorry about today. Other than running into Tommy, I had a great time. Thank you so much." Adam wanted to give her a heartfelt smile but he was still fuming from his spat with Tommy.

"I'm sorry too. I just...he's just not the same. I don't even know who he is anymore."

"I don't know who he became after we stopped talking, but I do miss the Tommy that was my best friend. I better get inside before he shows up." Kim said and opened the door. "Thanks again, Adam." He gave her a nod before taking his bags down to the infirmary. He hoped that he wouldn't run into his cousin anytime soon. Now would not be the time for him to get hurt. As if he'd help him after treating him like that. Kimberly took the bags Adam had given her to the cabinet in the restroom to stock up when she heard the door open. She knew who it was and wasn't quite ready to deal with him just yet. Anything that she had to say to him at the moment would more than likely get her a slap.

Tommy had cooled his head a bit by going for a walk around the Kingdom before heading back to his room. He plopped down on the couch and placed his arm over his face shielding his eyes from the light streaming in from the setting sun. The room was quiet so he could only assume Adam had kept Kim with him as a way of getting back at him for speaking to him so cruelly. He definitely owed Adam an apology but it would have to wait till another time. Tommy hadn't relaxed in his room for quite some time. It felt good to finally relax.

Kim walked out of the bedroom and looked over at the resting Prince. Why did he have to treat her the way he did? Did he get some sort of thrill from making her feel like shit? Tommy heard the rustling noises that Kim was making while she was straightening up the room and was ready to tell her to knock it off but decided against it when he peeked out from under his arm and noticed she was still wearing the dress. The dress that fit her perfectly. He hated to admit that she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. He silently watched her and immediately noticed when one of the straps slipped off her shoulder giving him a lovely view of the smooth skin that was hidden beneath it. Sinful thoughts invaded his mind as he looked on at the beautiful girl. What would she do if he decided he wanted to see her without the dress on? Would she fight him if he slowly undressed her and left soft kisses on her neck? It took a few moments for Tommy to realize what he was actually thinking about. He let out a frustrated sigh and covered his eyes again. _What the hell was that about?_ He mentally berated himself a bit for letting his weakness as a man come through.

"Take that damn dress off already." He muttered, the frustration already apparent in his voice.

"As you wish, my Prince." Kim said and slowly started removing the dress. He peeked out at her one last time and was shocked at the sight before him. Kimberly had indeed taken off her dress as he had commanded. He ran over to her, picked up her dress that had fallen to the floor, and pressed it against her.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm just doing as I was told." Kim said pointedly.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Maybe you should be more specific next time. Or how about just asking a little more nicely? It's not going to kill you to treat me like a human being."

Tommy ignored her comments and dragged her to the bedroom. He gave her a push and shut the door leaving her in the room alone. Kim gave the door a frustrated kick before grabbing her previous attired of borrowed clothes to change into. As she changed, she seriously wondered what exactly was wrong with wearing the damn dress? It didn't matter anymore. She was tired of him and he was tired of her.

Tommy took a moment to regain his composure and slow his quickly beating heart. Why was he getting so worked up over seeing Kimberly nearly naked? He had seen plenty of women naked but none of them seem to have the same reaction that Kim had just given him. He walked back to the couch and tried to get comfortable but knew that sleep was not going to come easy that night. Tommy did his best to block out the visions and get his mind on track but every time he closed his eyes he would see Kim standing before him, wearing only her undergarments, pink dress on the floor.

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah so I'm just gonna stop saying when I'm gonna update lol. I should have posted this yesterday. Sorry guys. So yeah, next update will be next week and you will for sure get two chapters next week, I just can't tell you what days. Keep on reviewing. I love reading them all. :) Alright, time to crash. Enjoy and I'll talk to yall next week!  
>~Lina<p> 


	9. 8: Mixed Emotions

-Chapter 8: Mixed Emotions-

Sleep had not come easy at all for the young Prince since that night. His dreams were plagued with visions of the former Princess seducing him in barely nothing at all. He had no idea what it was about her standing before him with barely anything between them that was making him have such restless nights. Well he had a good idea what it was but he couldn't just figure out why. He had convinced himself long ago that he wanted nothing to do with her. Not since she had betrayed his trust. Despite his feelings of hate for the girl he still couldn't deny that she was beautiful and incredibly sexy without her dress on.

Tommy's presence at the castle was minimal. Before he had kept his distance from Kimberly because she was so frustrating. Now he kept his distance so he wouldn't think about her. The lack of sleep had definitely made the young Prince a tad bit more irritable. His relationship with Adam was at its worst. The two were no longer on speaking terms. Adam hadn't forgiven Tommy since he had yet to apologize for treating him like a common servant and Tommy really just did not want to be around his cousin. He knew meeting with Adam meant he would end up being told off about his treatment of Kimberly. Thus discussing things with his cousin that would make him think of the girl, and the dress, and then the lack of the dress and he wouldn't be able to sleep AGAIN.

Tommy wandered the kingdom aimlessly, hoping to find somewhere quiet and dark where he would be able to sneak in a quick nap. Unfortunately for him the Kingdom was now a hustling and bustling area since it had more citizens living within it. The stables, though a bit smelly, would most likely provide him with the silence he needed.

"Good afternoon, my Prince." The sultry voice somehow stood out among the crowd's random conversations and caused Tommy to turn. There stood one of Tommy's many delights. The Prince had many beautiful women fawning over him daily but only a few of them had had the pleasure of experiencing the Prince's _love_. Kat was one of them. Tommy looked over the very well endowed blonde girl and gave her a lustful smile. The dress she had chosen to wear that day hugged her curves and allowed Tommy to get a wonderful eyeful of her cleavage.

"Hello Kat." Tommy said as he gave her hand a small kiss. "How have you been?"

"Lonely. It seems as though my Prince has been too busy to visit me." Kat said as she gave the Prince a pout.

"You must allow me to apologize my dear. We have many new citizens that have needed my help and you know I will do anything for my people to keep them happy."

"Well I am one of your loyal citizens as well and I am not happy." Kat said, fake pout in place.

"Please tell me what I can do to make you happy again." Tommy said knowing exactly what she wanted from him. He had intended on listening to the girl as she described the many sexual deeds he could do to please her but his mind had focused on a small figure that was now a few feet away from him at a fruit stand. The young girl with curly black locks looked very familiar to him. He watched the child carefully as Kat continued rambling on not having noticed his attention was on someone else. A small boy came up behind the girl and took an apple right out of her hand before running off.

"Hey! I'm telling mom!" The girl yelled at the boy. Tommy's eyes grew wide as he realized who she was.

"Keira." Kat finally noticed he was no longer listening to her when another girl's name escaped his lips.

"What? My Prince were you not listening to what I was saying?" Kat seethed.

"No…No it's just…I have to go." Tommy said not taking his eyes off the girl as she picked up her bag and started walking away.

"Are you going to come or not?" Kat said now fully frustrated with the young Prince.

"Come?"

"Tonight, to visit me?"

"Yes, I'll come but for now I must go." He said and waved over his shoulder as he quickly tried to catch up to the girl. Though extremely put off from his behavior Kat was still a bit satisfied knowing he would be spending the night with her that night. Tommy caught up to the child in an instant. He wanted to find out for sure if the girl was in fact Kimberly's little sister but he did not want others to find out. The stables would be the only suitable location for him to speak with the girl alone. If it was in fact Keira there was no way she would go with him willingly. Tommy took a deep breath and grabbed the girl's hand pulling her towards the alleyway.

"Let go of me!" the small girl yelled. Tommy turned and kneeled down to eye level with her.

"I need to speak with you. I will not hurt you unless you cause a scene. Now follow me quietly." Tommy whispered so only the child could hear him. The child nodded and followed the Prince to the stables. Tommy closed the doors behind him and made sure the stables were empty before speaking to the child.

"I know who you are. Now tell me why you are here. Do you have a death wish or something?" He couldn't figure out what she was thinking. She had to have known that her life would be in danger if she entered Anteros.

"No, I don't have a death wish but I had nowhere else to go. I have to know if my family is alive. If they are, then they will be here with the other people of Danae." Tommy couldn't believe she could be so reckless.

"Your family is alive but they are currently prisoners of Anteros."

"A-all of them? Even my sister? I heard that she was hurt badly." Keira said with tears in her eyes.

"You're sister is fine now. I had my best doctor fix her up." Tommy said looking away. He could never stand to see or hear a girl cry let alone a child.

"Please, please just let them go. We will leave. You will never see us again. Just please...give my family back to me!"

"I can't let them go." Tommy could feel a strange heaviness building deep inside his gut. He could remember wishing he could have his family back when he was a child. He knelt down in front of the girl so that he was at eye level with her. "Look, I'm sorry you are getting hurt in the process but there's nothing I can do. Your family committed a severe crime and this is their punishment."

"I'm sure they regret it. Kimberly was always so sad about something. Maybe that's it, maybe she regrets what happened. Just let her go. Let me have my sister." Keira pleaded grabbing his hand. Tommy pulled his hand away from the girl's grasp.

"That's not how things work here Keira." The young girl could feel the anger building up inside of her small body. She had asked nicely and it didn't work. She had kept her temper at bay hoping he would feel some remorse for breaking her family apart. Unfortunately, it seemed he didn't care. The tears of sadness turned into tears of hate and she could no longer hold back the detestation she held for the young Prince.

"I want my family, but you refuse to release them because of a supposed crime they committed. You're a horrible Prince and an evil person! You ruined my life and the lives of the people of Danae. Everyone was happy until you took everything away from them!" Tommy was surprised by the child's outburst. He wanted to yell at the girl and tell her he had made their lives better but couldn't. He had never thought of the situation from the eyes of a citizen of Danae. He completely uprooted an entire Kingdom. Yes, he had been a hospitable Prince and helped make their transition a little easier but was it a move that did not need to happen? Were they in fact happy living in the Kingdom of lies? Tommy shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would have to think everything over later but now he needed to think of a way to get this girl out of Anteros.

"Look, your family risked their lives to save you. I am the only one who knows of your existence. If anyone else finds out I will not be able to help you. You need to leave Anteros."

"I can't leave! Not without them!" Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood and turned away from the girl. _She definitely gets her defiance from her sister. _

"As your Prince, I command that you leave Anteros." a hint of frustration could be heard in his voice.

"You are not my Prince!" A low growl escaped Tommy's frustrated form. The frustration he felt reminded him of his encounters with Kimberly. There would be no point in physically taking the girl out of the Kingdom, she would just come back like a stray cat. There had to be a way to convince her to go. Tommy stiffened when the idea came to mind. He didn't want to resort to it but it might be the only way. He turned back to face Keira but just couldn't find the will to look her in the eye.

"Fine, then as your brother, I am asking you to please leave the Kingdom." Tommy couldn't believe he had finally admitted their relation.

"M-my brother?" Keira couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"We share the same mother." Tommy said trying his best not to let his feelings for their mother show.

"No! Kimberly would have told me when I asked who you were. She said you were just a friend!"

"Well, she lied to you."

"I have to see her. Please don't make me leave. I won't talk to anyone, I promise." Why was this girl so hard to convince? If she wasn't going to listen then the people she was with would have to.

"Take me to the family you are staying with and I'll do what I can." Hope instantly rose in the child. He was going to ask her "family" to help her see her sister.

"They are selling food in the market. Follow me." Keira said leading the Prince to her "family". Tommy kept a fair distance between himself and Keira making sure nobody knew he was following her. The woman whom was pretending to be the child's mother was instantly worried when she noticed the Prince following behind Keira.

"I need to speak with you privately, if you don't mind." Tommy said trying his best to not sound upset.

"Did we do something wrong, Prince?" The lady asked as she led the way to the backroom. Keira followed close behind along with the man pretending to be her father.

"I know who this child is. For now, I am the only one who knows her identity. I need you to make sure she gets out of Anteros as soon as possible. If anyone else finds out who she is I will not be able to protect her." Tommy said getting straight to the point. He was going to make sure an adult knew the danger she was putting herself in. Keira, although being a mere child, was beyond pissed. She had gained some hope when he said he would see what he could do. He had lied to her.

"We understand. We will leave by tomorrow." The man pretending to be the girl's father said.

"No! My family is alive in that castle. I can't just leave." The woman grabbed Keira by her shoulders.

"Keira, your family risked their lives to get you out of the castle when the attack happened. If you stay here and get yourself killed, it would be for nothing. You owe it to them." Tears instantly formed in the girls eyes as she began to bawl. Nobody was going to help her.

"Thank you for understanding." Tommy said before making his leave. He knew the girl wasn't happy with the decision but it was something that had to be done. Tommy had tried to go back to the stables to get some much needed sleep but thoughts of the conversation he had with Keira kept popping up in his mind. Had he really ruined the lives of the people of Danae? They had seemed happy enough to him.

"No. I did the right thing." Tommy said trying to convince himself. The people he had trusted had betrayed him. A simple apology wouldn't make it all better, would it? Tommy shook his head to clear the thoughts and began to wander the Kingdom. He watched the former citizens of Danae living their lives in Anteros. They didn't seem to be upset. He let out a frustrated growl before deciding he was tired of thinking. He needed something to numb his mind. The people in the local pub were very shocked to see their Prince walk in.

"You're highness. Is something the matter?" the bartender asked nervously.

"Of course not. I just thought it would be nice to stop by and treat the hard working people of my Kingdom. Drinks are on me." Tommy said with a smile hoping it would hide the guilt he had been feeling since his encounter with Keira. A loud cheer roared from the small crowd as they realized they no longer had to pay to drink. Night, came faster than he had hoped. He had kept the fake smile plastered on his face while he drank with a mix of new and old citizens of Anteros. He had hoped someone, in their drunken state, would let him know how they truly felt. Not a single person muttered anything remotely bad about the transition. Tommy waved good bye to the cheerful bunch and stumbled out of the pub. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his room and get some real sleep but knew his dreams would most definitely be plagued by either sinful lust filled images or thoughts of guilt. He thought of sleeping in the infirmary but knew if he went there he would have to speak to his cousin. He let out a loud groan as he slowly trudged his way through the quiet town. It was late and almost everyone had gone to sleep.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me tonight." Kat said pouting as she stood by her door watching the Prince walk by. Tommy _had _actually forgotten his promise to "visit" her that night.

"Sorry. I've had a lot of stuff on my mind lately." Tommy said rubbing his head.

"Well, come in and let me help you relieve some of your stress." Tommy smiled at the thought of the different ways she could help him relax. He walked in and followed her to her bedroom. Kat gave the young Prince a small push letting him fall onto her bed while she crawled on top of him.

"Sit back and enjoy, my Prince." Kat said and started kissing him. Tommy closed his eyes and felt his stress disappear with each kiss. This was definitely going to keep his mind off of Kimberly. Kat knew everything the Prince liked and planned on using that knowledge to her advantage. She kissed her way down to his neck and found the most sensitive spot right behind his ear and placed soft, wet kisses there.

"Mmmm..." Tommy let out a satisfied moan as she kissed him. Kat sat up and began to slowly unbutton his shirt. Tommy finally opened his eyes and was a little more than surprised to see a sexy little brunette undressing him instead of the blonde woman he had come in with.

"What the..." Tommy started to say. Why in the hell was Kimberly on top of him?

"Shhhhhhhh." Kim said as she placed a finger to his lips. Tommy started to push himself up to a sitting position but stopped when he felt her start to grind on his lap. Oh dear god, why was she doing this? And why did it feel so good? Tommy leaned back on his elbows and let out a strained moan. He didn't want to do this with her but for some reason he just couldn't get himself to stop her. Tommy started loosing control of his senses as she continued to slowly rub herself against him. He could no longer restrain himself from joining in on the action. He lay back and allowed his hands to wander her body as she moved. It didn't take long for his hips to start moving in time with hers. The small moans she let out were like music to his ears. He had never heard these sounds from the former Princess before but he liked to hear them. The combined movement and sounds she was producing were making his pants feel tighter. He didn't want her to know he was enjoying it but his body was in full control now.

"Ahhh, Kim." Tommy hadn't planned on letting her name escape his lips but the blissful torture she was putting him through was just too good.

"Wait! What did you just call me?" Kat said stopping her movements immediately. Tommy's eyes snapped open as he realized what he just said. No longer was Kimberly straddling his lap and driving him to the edge of ecstasy. Kat was there and was looking extremely pissed off.

"Shit. Kat, please let me explain."

"Explain? You said Kim. As in Kimberly of Danae?" Kat was up and pacing the room.

"Yes...no! Not Kimberly of Danae." Tommy lied. To be honest he was still confused as to why he was thinking of Kimberly in Kat's place. He usually only saw her like that in his dreams...had he fallen asleep?

"What is it, Tommy? Yes or No? Were you picturing Kimberly while you were with me?" Tommy's silence was enough of an answer for Kat. The room was filled with a loud SMACK when Kat slapped him.

"How dare you! Is that the kind of slave you made her? Why did you even bother coming to me?" Kat raised her hand to slap him again but Tommy made sure to grab hold of it.

"That is not the kind of slave she is. I am the Prince of Anteros. Why would I be lusting over her?" Kat pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"I don't think I'm the one that can answer that question, Prince." Tommy cleaned himself up before walking out of Kat's house. He wasn't too thrilled with the fact that she had slapped him but what was weighing heavier on his mind was the fact that he was thinking of Kim and enjoying it. Whether or not his dreams were plagued he was going to get some sleep so could get his sanity back. Tommy made his way to his chambers and noticed that the door to his bedroom was closed. He let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on the large couch. Kim woke up at the sound of the door. She wasn't expecting Tommy to come back that night seeing as he was doing his best to stay away from her. She opened the door just a little and peeked out into the empty living room of the Prince's chambers. She knew she had heard the door but couldn't see anyone. Kim tiptoed out of the bedroom hoping Adam had come to visit and left seeing nobody in the room. Tommy had heard the door to his bedroom open and could feel a headache come on. She was the last person he wanted to see at that moment. Kim nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Tommy's low and annoyed growl from the couch.

"Wow. I wasn't expecting you to ever come back." Kim said, sarcasm heavy in her voice as she turned on a small light.

"I have to sleep sometime Kim." Tommy said wishing almost immediately that he had not said her name. Instantly, visions of his hallucination during his sexcapade with Kat rushed into his head. Tommy groaned and turned away hoping Kim didn't see the blush that was quickly forming on his cheeks. Kim rolled her eyes at Tommy's smartass answer. She hadn't noticed the blush but she did notice the slight bruise that was forming on the side of his face.

"What happened to you?" Kim asked as she walked over to him.

"Nothing." He wasn't prepared for her to grab hold of his chin and make him look at her so she could get a better look at it.

"That's not nothing." Kim said as she examined his bruise carefully. It was easy to tell that someone had slapped him but who would be crazy enough to do that to the Prince and live to tell about it? Tommy watched as Kim's eyes scanned over his injured face and held his breath as her fingers grazed over the bruise. _Don't think about it…Don't think about it…Don't think about it…_Tommy repeated the mantra in his head until she suddenly stood up and walked away. He let out the breath he was holding and closed his eyes. _You are the Prince of Anteros…Get a hold of yourself Damnit! _Tommy mentally berated himself. He was so occupied with telling himself off in his head that he had not noticed Kim walk back into the room with an ice pack in her hand. It wasn't until he felt the cool sensation of the ice pack against his hot cheek that he was pulled from his thoughts.

"Why are you taking care of me?" Tommy asked, a bit confused about her behavior. He was sure she would want to avoid him as much as he wanted to avoid her since he treated her so badly.

"I'm just returning the favor." Kim said holding up her finger that she had cut on the very first day she was assigned as his slave. It was the only excuse Kim could think of. In all honesty, she didn't even know why she was tending to him. She seemed to just be doing so out of habit despite the fact that the two held such horrible feelings towards each other. Tommy couldn't help bu smile at the finger she held up before him. He hadn't thought of it as taking care of her. He really just didn't want her to bleed on his things. Nonetheless, he was appreciative.

"Wow. It's been a while since I've seen one of those."

"Seen what?"

"A real smile on your face." Tommy's smile faded instantly.

"Well don't get used to it." Tommy said as he looked away from her. The two sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Each one lost in their own thoughts. Tommy had willed himself to forget about Kim which unfortunately left him with thoughts of his conversation with Keira. Tommy's smile may have lasted a few seconds but it was enough to send her back to the past. Back when they were friends. Back when everyone was happy. Back when they had a chance for something more. Everyday she wished she could turn back time and make things right. If only she had told him of the affair. If only she had told him about Keira from the beginning. Things might have been so different. Tommy's guilt ridden thoughts were interrupted when he felt the several wet drops fall on his arm and heard Kimberly sniffling. He looked up and saw her covering her face with her free arm trying to hide the tears while still holding the ice pack against his face. Tommy instinctively reached out his hand to comfort the crying girl but stopped just shy of her shoulders when he realized what he was doing.

"I'm sorry." Kim said through the tears.

"What?" Tommy was caught off guard by her sudden tears and apology. He had expected to hear an apology during their battle or when he told her she was his slave. He was prepared for an apology that sounded more like begging but he was not ready for a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry for everything." Kim said wiping the tears away with her sleeve and looking him in the eye. "I should have told you everything from the beginning. I was a stupid child. I didn't know what to do. I was scared of losing everything I cared about and that included you." Tommy was at a loss for words. "I meant to apologize a long time ago. If I could take everything back I would." All Tommy could do was stare at her tear stained face. Why? Why was she apologizing? Was this some sort of trick? Tommy shook his head still not quite sure what to think about the entire situation. Kim held her breath as she waited for his response. Everything that she had wanted to say to him for so long had finally come out.

"G-go to bed." Tommy said quietly, not able to look at her any longer. Kim looked sadly at the Prince sitting before her wishing he would talk to her instead of sending her off. She nodded and took her leave. The heaviness on Tommy's chest increased as he heard her sniffling beyond the closed door. It was going to be a very very long night.

* * *

><p>AN: Superbowl! Yeah I'm a football fanatic so it's cool that the internets is nice enough to work with me and let me watch along with all of yall at home. It's a little glitchy and I have to keep refreshing but it's better than not seeing it at all lol. So as a celebration for the big game I've decided to update. Hope you all like and I really hope I didn't confuse anyone with Tommy's little delusional fantasy. Enjoy and I'll talk to you all again later this week.  
>~Lina<p> 


	10. 9: Regret

Chapter 9: Regret

Adam woke up very early the next morning and followed his usual routine. He showered and changed before heading to the dining hall to eat some breakfast. He took an extra amount of time to relax and eat before making his way to the infirmary. Nobody was there so he knew he could take his time. However, an instant frown formed on his usual gentle face when he walked into the infirmary and found his annoying royal cousin napping on one of the beds.

"If you're going to sleep in here then you had better be injured." Adam said sternly as he took inventory of his supplies. Tommy let out a small whimper when he heard his cousin's voice. He had not been able to sleep in his room after all and decided his best bet would be to sleep in the infirmary. Adam sat on a bed across from Tommy and stared at the dark circles under his eyes.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you haven't slept in a year." Adam said handing him a cup of water and a couple of vitamins. Tommy reluctantly sat up and took the vitamins.

"Yeah well it feels like I haven't."

"So what's been on your mind? Have you been rethinking the whole take over? Maybe thinking about a certain former Princess in a new light? Or have you lost sleep because you treated your dear younger cousin like shit and felt guilty for not apologizing?" Tommy looked over at Adam's fake pout and let out a little chuckle.

"I'm sorry Adam." Tommy said sincerely before pushing his aching body off the bed. _Can I die from lack of sleep?_ he wondered as he stretched out the pain from his limbs.

"Thanks for the belated apology but really, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing. I've just overworked myself."

"Well, you should call it a day and just relax in your chambers. You do remember how to get there, right?" Adam joked knowing well enough that the Prince had been avoiding his chambers for quite some time now. Tommy shook his head and laughed at his cousin. _When did he become such a smartass? _He thanked him for allowing the use of his infirmary and made his way back to his own room. Although he still wasn't ready to deal with Kimberly he knew that he needed a bath. He thanked god when he walked into the room and found that she was still asleep on his bed. A pang of guilt hit him hard when he looked upon her tear stained face. She must have cried herself to sleep. He shook the thoughts of sympathy from his head and walked into the bathroom. Tommy dipped himself into the hot water and felt instant relief. All of his worries and stress dissipated as the heat from the water relaxed his muscles. He wasn't surprised to see that she was awake when he had finished with his bath.

"Good morning." Kim said quietly. She wasn't sure what to say to him. He didn't seem that thrilled with her apology but then again she didn't know what to expect.

"Yeah." he said as he grabbed a shirt from his drawers and pulled it on. That was it? That was all he was going to say? Kim sighed as he walked out of the room slamming the door shut behind him.

Keira could feel the tears stinging her eyes as she looked upon the castle. She didn't want to leave, not without her family. She was thankful to the family of servants that had watched over her after her family was taken from her but they couldn't replace her real one. They were alive inside the Kingdom she was walking away from. Her "mother" held her hand as they walked past the castle and out of Anteros.

"Please. I don't want to leave." Keira begged, tears threatening to fall.

"Keira, the Prince has asked us kindly to get you out of here. Do you want him to _**make **_us leave?" the woman said thinking about the two sides of the Prince. They adored the side he had showed them when helping out the many people of his Kingdom but they feared the side of him he showed when he was displeased.

"I don't care about that pompous royal. It's his fault this is happening." She still didn't want to believe that they were related. The girl's "father" slowed his pace so that he may join in the conversation.

"My dear. We know you miss your family but there is nothing you can do for them right now. They risked everything to make sure you were safe. You need to respect their wishes." Keira nodded knowing he was right. Leo, the son of the servants and her "brother" grabbed Keira's hand when he noticed the tears streaming down her face and pulled her along behind him. The family continued their journey in silence. None of them knew where they were going to go. They had only walked about a mile or so away from Anteros and were in need of a break. Leo and Keira wandered to the top of a nearby hill that overlooked the vast land.

"Come on sis. We need to decide where we are going."

"Look what we have here." A deep and scruffy voice suddenly said. The family turned to the small group of rogue warriors that had somehow snuck up on them. "It isn't very often that we see families _leaving_ Anteros."

"Please. We're just trying to find a new home." Keira's mother begged.

"We can give you a very nice home."

"Run kids!" Keira's father yelled as he jumped at one of the warriors. Leo and Keira ran back in the direction of Anteros but didn't get far before one of the warriors grabbed them. Keira kicked the man in the shin making him drop her.

"Damn brat!" The man yelled and swung his arm hitting her in the process. Everything went black as she fell to the ground.

Tommy wandered the Kingdom hoping being among his people would help him remember why he sought revenge on the royals of Danae. He wanted to bring them to a place where they could trust their royal family and not be lied to. He was doing that wasn't he? Tommy was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the bells ringing.

"Young Prince. Rouge warriors are attacking a family not to far from Anteros!" A Knight yelled as he ran past him.

"Everyone, get inside your homes and lock the doors." Tommy yelled out to the citizens as he ran after the young Knight. "I want you to gather as many Knights as you can. Send some of them out to aide me in my battle and have the others guard the entrance to Anteros."

"Yes sir, but you're not wearing any armor!" The Knight said worriedly as he looked over his Prince.

"Then you'd better send them quickly!" Tommy yelled as ran past the Knight to the stable. He jumped on his horse and was out of the Kingdom before the Knight could run into the castle. Putting armor on would slow him down and waste time. A handful of Knights that usually guarded the entrance to Anteros joined Tommy. It didn't take too long for Tommy and his entourage to reach the battle.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Prince himself." One of the warriors said as Tommy hopped off his horse.

"I'm going to have to thank you boys for this later. I've been itching for a fight." Tommy said as he pulled out his sword. The small group of Anteros defenders did a marvelous job keeping the warriors at bay. It wasn't until one of the warriors noticed another group of Knights heading their way that they called for a retreat. Tommy took in the damage while the Knights celebrated their victory. He froze when his eyes fell upon the still body of a young girl with messy black pigtails.

"No." he whispered as he knelt down next to her. "Keira." He said quietly as he looked upon her face. _This is my fault. She would have been fine if I had just let her stay in the Kingdom_.

"Gather the injured and take them to the infirmary!" Tommy yelled quickly getting the attention of all the Knights. It was the perfect moment for an ambush. Usually the Prince wouldn't let this sort of thing happen. His mind was so preoccupied with guilt that he didn't realize he had left himself wide open. Tommy felt a sharp pain hit his shoulder as he leaned down to pick up the unconscious child. The pain spread quickly and took his breath away. He turned his head to find the source of the pain.

"Damnit." He hissed as he stared at the arrow stuck in the back of his shoulder. The Knights reacted quickly, shielding their Prince and trying to find the attacker.

"Don't move Sire. We'll get you to the infirmary quickly." one of the Knights said keeping an eye out for the archer.

"Idiot. I'm fine. We need to get this family out of here." Tommy said grabbing the arrow with one hand. He pulled as hard as he could but the arrow broke in his grip. He cursed himself under his breath but knew he was fortunate that the archer was such a lousy shot. He picked Keira up and made his way back to Anteros.

Adam had heard the bells ringing and knew he would soon have a full infirmary. He gathered all his things and waited. As if on cue, several Knights rushed into the infirmary. Adam ordered the knights around letting him know where to place the injured. He was rather surprised to see Tommy walk in holding a small child in his arms.

"I need **you** to take care of her. Do whatever needs to be done just make sure she's ok." Adam nodded and took the girl from his arms. He knew it must have been serious since Tommy had asked for him to personally help the child. Tommy felt relief wash over him as he watched his cousin walk away with Keira. He knew she would be alright as long as she was in his care.

"Sire, shall we have the doctor take a look at your shoulder?" One Knight asked quietly as he noticed Tommy trying to quietly slip out of the infirmary.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine. I have medical supplies in my chambers." Tommy said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible about his severely painful wound.

"It will only take a minute of his time to check..." The Knight stopped mid-sentence when he received a stern glare from the Prince.

"I am fine and you will do well to listen to what I say. That family needs his attention, not I." Tommy said seriously. The Knight apologized sheepishly and excused himself along with the others that had helped bring in the family. Tommy followed shortly after them and staggered back to his chambers leaving a small trail of blood in his wake. Walking in a straight line was becoming more and more difficult for him as his vision was becoming blurry. The pain was increasing, no doubt from the arrow head that was still lodged in his shoulder. Tommy was beyond thankful when he finally reached his door. The pain had finally taken over his brain. His legs buckled and he collapsed to his knees.

Kim had just finished taking a shower when she heard the door. She wasn't about to rush out to see whoever was there until she heard the thump and groan of Tommy. She ran out with only the long shirt covering her undergarments.

"Tommy, what's going on?" Kim said after finding him on the floor.

"Nothing. I'm just tired." He said groaning when she touched his shoulder.

"You're hurt! What happened to you?" Kim said looking down at her hand covered in blood.

"I'm fine just don't touch my shoulder." He attempted to get up but soon realized that walking on wobbly legs was impossible.

"Oh shut up and let me help you!" Kim demanded as she wrapped her arms around his waist and practically carried him to the couch. Tommy wasn't too thrilled that he was getting help from her but at the moment he was just going to have to accept it. He hissed in pain when he fell onto the couch, shoulder hitting the back.

"Oh my God! Tommy there's an arrow stuck in your shoulder!" He wanted to laugh at the obviousness of her statement…as if he didn't know there was an arrow in his shoulder.

"I tried pulling it out but it broke."

"Are you stupid? You should know not to try to pull it out! Wait here, I'm going to go get Adam." Kim said and turned but stopped when she felt his strong grip around her wrist.

"You do it."

"What? I'm not a doctor Tommy. You need Adam."

"No."

"Stop being so stubborn and just let me get him." She said trying to twist out of his hold.

"God damnit just do it!" Kim couldn't believe how bull-headed he was behaving. She knew that the two had yet to make up but this was not the time to let an argument keep them apart.

"Fine! But if you die it's not my fault!" Tommy released the death grip he had on her wrist when she finally agreed to help him. Kim let out a frustrated huff before running into his bedroom. She appeared a short time later with bandages and other things needed to help him.

"Just lay still, I have to try to get it out." Tommy tried his best not to cry out from the pain as she pulled the remainder of the arrow out, stitched him up and poured antiseptic over the wound. Kim didn't want to hurt him any further but if she didn't clean it properly it would get infected. Tommy's breathing became normal after she finished bandaging him up.

"Why didn't you go to the infirmary and let Adam help you?" Kim asked as she looked over her bandaging. _Adam would have done a better job_. She thought to herself.

"He's busy. We had a lot of injured people from that attack." Tommy said hoping she wouldn't dig further. He didn't want her to worry about Keira like he was.

"What attack? What happened? Did everyone make it out ok?"

"A small group of rogue warriors attacked a family. All the injured are being taken care of. All the Knights are on watch so nothing else will happen tonight."

"Why was the family out there anyway? How many were injured? Were they from Danae?" Tommy was tired of explaining the situation to her. She wasn't going to let up so he might as well tell her everything.

"Look, Kim. The family that was attacked were the servants that Keira was staying with. I saw her in Anteros yesterday and told them they needed to leave. They were attacked. She was unconscious when I got there. I told Adam to take care of her. That's why I'm not there. I want him to focus on her."

"No! You told her to leave? What's wrong with you? I have to go to her! I have to know she's ok!" Kim said jumping up and heading for the door. Tommy wanted to get up to stop her but his movements were causing sharp pains to shoot up his arm.

"Please." Kim stopped immediately when she heard that word come from him. She slowly turned to face him. He kept his eyes on the floor. It was bad enough that she had taken care of him now he was begging her to stay. "Please don't go. She has the best doctor taking care of her."

"What if something happens and I'm not there with her?"

"If you go there will be more of a risk of someone finding out who she is. You'll be putting her in more danger." Kim bit her lip as she realized he was right.

"Is there anything you need?" If she was going to stay in the room she needed to keep herself busy.

"Pain killers?"

"I think I might have some in this bag that Adam gave me when I was...well recovering." Tommy tried not to let her comment affect him. He already felt bad about Keira...he didn't need to feel sorry for hurting her too, did he? Tommy took the pills and tried to sit comfortably on the couch.

"Do you need anything else?"

"No. Who taught you how to stitch up wounds?" Tommy asked as Kim carefully sat next to him. She had done a lot of work to take care of his injury, someone had to have taught her.

"Adam of course. He said I would need to know how to fix you up after you did something stupid." Tommy rolled his eyes at his cousin's choice of words but was thankful he had taught Kim how to do so.

"Thank you." Tommy said sleepily as he lay his head on her shoulder. Kim couldn't believe what she had just heard. Had he thanked her? She turned to question him but he had already drifted off to sleep.

Tommy slept peacefully through the night and woke up well rested the next morning. His shoulder still hurt like hell but it was nothing compared to the previous night. He looked to his left and was surprised to see Kimberly leaning against him fast asleep. Had she stayed with him the entire night? Tommy recalled their conversation and grimaced when he recalled how he had practically begged her to stay with him. Kimberly shifted a little feeling his eyes on her.

"Good morning." She said sitting up. "How's your shoulder?"

"It's still there." Tommy joked. "Thanks." Kim laughed a little.

"That's good." She stood and stretched out her muscles. It was then that Tommy noticed what she was wearing, or rather the lack there of. He couldn't help but notice, as she stretched, how her shirt rose to her upper thigh giving him a wonderful view of her long and slender legs. Tommy licked his lips instinctively and swallowed hard as visions of his hallucination crept back into his head.

"Do you need anything this morning?" Kim said as she turned around. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Tommy said as he turned away quickly. He could feel the heat that rose to his face and prayed she hadn't noticed it.

"Let me check your bandage and see if I need to change it." Kim said. Tommy simply nodded. He was afraid that if he spoke he would say something stupid. Kim walked over to him rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't notice his legs were sticking out as far as they were and ended up tripping over them. Kim fell onto him and caught herself on his injured shoulder. Tommy cried out and pushed her off of his shoulder and onto his lap. Kimberly apologized repeatedly as he put his head on her shoulder trying to breath through the pain.

"Tommy, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?"

"Mmhmm." Tommy mumbled as he kept his head on her shoulder. It wasn't until the pain had subsided that he noticed her scar. During the fall, her oversized shirt had slipped off her shoulder allowing him to finally see what he had done to her. What had made him act so mercilessly then? Was the secret she had kept from him really worth that? Was everything that had happened really worth everything that he put her through? A definite "No" seemed to ring out inside his head to answer all of the questions he had. Tommy wanted to ignore the doubts that filled his mind but couldn't. She had never hurt him. She had never actually lied to him. Yet she apologized and took care of him. He _had_ hurt her. He _had_ lied to her. And he had yet to apologize.

"It hurt didn't it?" Tommy asked quietly. Of course it did. He stabbed her with a sword. His minor wound was nothing compared to what he did to her. He was worse than the rogue warriors.

"Very much." Kim said just above a whisper. Tommy gently rubbed his thumb across her scar. Instant shivers ran up her spine when she felt him touching her gently.

"I'm sorry." He said as quietly as he could before placing a small kiss on her scar. Kim couldn't react. Her body stiffened when she felt his lips come in contact with her skin. She also realized what kind of position they were in and the fact that there wasn't much between them. She wanted to say something but couldn't manage to get any words out. Especially when he continued to kiss her. Tommy's mind was no longer in control of the situation. He brought her body closer to his and began placing butterfly kisses up her shoulder, to her collar bone and on to her neck. Her skin was like honey to him. It was soft and sweet and he couldn't seem to get enough of it. His hands snaked their way under her shirt and explored her back. Kim's heart was racing, her breath was quickening, and her body was getting hotter by the second. How was this happening and why did he have this effect on her? Tommy knew what he was doing was wrong but nothing in him wanted to stop. He stopped kissing her and looked up at her flushed face. He was amazed by the fact that she could look so cute and so damn sexy at the same time.

"Kimberly. Look at me." He said as he caressed her cheek with his hand. Kim hesitantly opened her eyes and met his. "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry...for everything." Kim had never expected him to apologize. It was sincere and it seemed like he was apologizing for more than just injuring her shoulder. She leaned into his touch as he brought his lips closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips and waited for his to come crashing down on hers. Without warning the door came swinging open.

"What the hell is...wrong...with...you?" Adam said as he practically kicked the door down only to see the compromising position the two were in. The blush quickly rose to Adam's face before he turned around and slammed the door shut. Kim seemed to react more quickly than Tommy had. As soon as the door closed she pulled herself off of his lap and ran to the bedroom also slamming the door shut. She slid down the closed door and mentally berated herself for allowing that to happen. Tommy let his head fall back against the couch and let out a heavy sigh.

"That was way too close." He said to himself before yelling at his cousin. "You can come back in now!" Adam opened the door more slowly this time. A hint of red was still on his face as he entered the room a second time.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure you weren't dead." He never expected to see those two in that sort of position. The image disappeared from his head as he remembered why he had stormed into his room in the first place.

"So what happened to you? Why is there a trail of blood leading to your chambers? And why didn't you stay in the infirmary so I could take care of you?" Adam yelled more concerned than angry.

"I'm sorry Adam. It was just that I wanted to make sure you took care of the others first and with me there you would have focused all your time and energy on me." Adam pouted. He knew Tommy was right but since when did the lives of citizens matter more than the Prince?

"At least let me look over your wound." Adam said as he walked over to his cousin.

"So how is the girl?" Tommy asked as Adam poked and examined his wound.

"She's fine. She went home with her mother and brother this morning. She just had a bump on the head. Nothing serious."

"Good." Tommy said and winced as he pushed down on his shoulder.

"Wow! Kim did a great job on you." He was proud of her.

"Adam…is the little girl ok?" Kim asked as she made her way back to the room. She had quickly changed into more appropriate clothes. She really didn't want to face Adam after the embarrassing event but she needed to know how her sister was.

"She's fine Kim." Tommy said hoping that would be enough to reassure her.

"Please can I see her." Kim said almost begging.

"Ok I've had enough." Adam said abruptly. "What the hell is going on here? I knew something was up when you brought her to me and begged me to make sure she was ok." He was tired of being left in the dark about everything. If Tommy wasn't going to give him answers then surely Kim would. "How do you know her?" Adam said directing his question to former Princess.

"I...um...well." Kim stuttered unsure of what to say. She knew the danger of telling others of her relationship with Keira.

"She's our sister. She's the child of my mother and Kim's father." Tommy said out of the blue. Adam was speechless. It all made sense to him now. That was what set Tommy off all those years ago.

"You both know the severity of this information. If anyone else finds out about her there will be hell to pay." Adam said seriously. Both nodded knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I'm sorry Kim but she left with her family this morning. She was a little banged up but nothing too serious. Her father, or so he calls himself, is still in the infirmary. He did his best to protect them and got pretty hurt in the process. You can talk to him."

"Can I, Tommy? Please?" Kim pleaded looking at Tommy. Tommy gut was telling him not to allow it but after everything she had done for him how could he deny her? He knew she needed to see her sister and talk to her but this would be as close as she could get. Kim and Tommy followed Adam in silence as they walked through the halls to the infirmary. Kim was nervous and Tommy could tell with all of her fidgeting. He grabbed her hand and held it in his giving her a small squeeze as if to say it's going to be alright. He really hadn't realized he had done so until they reached the infirmary and she let go rushing over to see the man that had protected her dear sister. Tommy stood guard at the door making sure nobody else would hear or witness the scene.

"David!" Kim said running over to embrace the man on the bed. The injured man let out a small groan but did not push the girl away. Silent tears fell from his eyes as he embraced her.

"Princess, I'm so glad to see you alive and well."

"I'm well. Are you badly hurt? Your wife? My s-sister?" Kim asked now crying.

"According to the doctor they are all fine." David said looking to Adam.

"I can't thank you enough for taking care of her. I love you dearly for that!" Kim said grabbing him in a hug again. This time a little more gentle.

"We are doing our best to care for the young Princess but she demands to see you. We were trying to leave so nothing would happen and we were attacked by the rogue warriors."

"Keira can be pretty demanding. Please tell her I love her and to cooperate. It's for her safety alone. Thank you for caring for her. I owe you so much for that, my friend." Kim said touching his face.

Tommy had heard nothing after she entered the infirmary. His mind was racing with questions. He touched his wound gingerly and recalled the events that took place before Adam walked in. Kim had cared for him, had stayed by his side, and he had almost...He shook his head of the thought of what would have happened had Adam not showed up and tried to focus on other things. Why was she caring for him? He had done nothing but treat her horribly. Why was he feeling guilty? Was it not too late for guilt? The damage was done. There was no turning back now. There was no room for regret.

* * *

><p>AN: Ahhhhhhhh I'm so so so so soooooo sorry for not updating sooner. Things couldn't be any crazier right now and I kind of made it that way for myself by procrastinating on making Valentine's chocolates for my coworkers, friends, and husband. Graduation is coming up fast for my kiddos here (epic sad face! I'm gonna miss them so much). Right after graduation, the new school year starts so I'll have new kiddos to welcome. I have a friend who decided she is going to visit me in March despite me telling her it's not a good time (also my fault...I told my friends they could come visit whenever they wanted but our school year is faaaaaaaar different than the school year back in America.) Aaaaand all the winter festivals are happening right now so I haven't had a free weekend in...in...I don't even know anymore orz. So for now...or until my schedule lightens up...we will be back to one update a week. Sorry guys. Thanks again for the reviews and comments. I am soooo happy you all like it. Take care and I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I luv you all!  
>~Lina<p> 


	11. 10: Letting Go

Chapter 10: Letting Go

The attack that had taken place had caused the Kingdom of Anteros to raise their security. Tommy was busier than ever now than he had been before and was very thankful for it. As long as he had something to do, the less time he would have to think. However, when he did have time to think, only one thing would play in his mind. The intimate moment he had shared with Kimberly was now the only image that he could think of. It played over and over like a broken record in his mind. He couldn't understand how he was the one to make the first move. He had been the one that had almost kissed her. Hadn't he convinced himself that he hated her and that he wanted nothing to do with her? When had that changed? Had he ever really hated her to begin with or was he just putting the blame on her? Tommy sighed as the questions flooded his brain. It was late when he started making his way back to the castle. If his body would allow him to stay awake all night he would work the night guard as well. As he neared the castle he heard two familiar voices.

"I want you to come in for a check up every week until I say you are at 100%" Adam explained to the man who called himself Keira's father.

"I will Dr. Park. Thank you again for everything." The man shook Adam's hand before turning to see the Prince standing behind him. "Thank you Prince Tommy for coming to our aide when we needed you."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you." Tommy said shaking the man's hand.

"As soon as Dr. Park clears me then we will try again to leave Anteros."

"No! I should have never made you leave in the first place. You are all safe within my Kingdom. As long as we are the only ones who know her secret we should be fine." Tommy said still feeling guilty for making them leave. The man waved goodbye and headed home leaving the cousins with each other.

"Are you crazy? Do you know the dangers of having them stay here? What will you do if your father finds out?" Adam asked quietly as he pulled Tommy aside.

"Look, as long as all of us keep our mouths shut he won't find out." Although his voice was full of confidence deep down inside he was very worried about it. He knew what would happen if he defied his father but he didn't want to risk them getting hurt again. Adam was a bit surprised to see Tommy walking to his room. It was a rare occurrence to see him willingly go back.

"So I guess things between you and Kim have settled down a bit?" Adam asked.

"I need to sleep Adam. That's all." Adam rolled his eyes. If he really couldn't stand to be around Kimberly and was in desperate need of sleep he would have asked to sleep in the infirmary .

"Whatever you say." Adam said slapping Tommy's back and running off. Tommy chuckled at his cousin's immature actions. It still amazed him at how grown up and child like he could be. Tommy opened the door to his chambers quietly and peeked in. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed all the lights were off. _Good, she's asleep._ He thought to himself as he kicked off his boots, shirt, and pants and got comfortable on the couch.

Tommy awoke with a start when he felt someone touching his shoulder. His eyes snapped open as he grabbed the hand that was touching him. Kim let out a small gasp not expecting him to react so aggressively. His grasp on her hand immediately slackened when he heard her and his eyes fell upon her startled face.

"I'm sorry. You surprised me."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have woken you." Tommy stretched and gathered his clothes from the floor. He looked around the room and noticed how remarkably bright it was for being so early in the morning.

"I was just surprised to see you still sleeping this late in the afternoon. You're usually out of here before I wake up." It took a few moments for Tommy to understand what she had just said.

"Wait…what?" She was right. He had always managed to wake up, do his morning routine, and leave before she was up. "What time is it exactly?"

"It's a little after noon." Kim said and was surprised to see him run straight into the bathroom to start up a shower. Tommy was not one to slack off on guard duty. He was out of the bathroom in a flash, hair still dripping from the quick shower he took as he rushed to pull his boots on.

"Tommy, slow down a little bit. What's your rush?"

"I should have been on guard hours ago." Tommy said as he realized the reason he couldn't put his boots on was because he was trying to put them on the wrong feet. Kim giggled when she noticed him switch his boots.

"You needed some rest. I'm sure they will understand."

"It's my responsibility to protect everyone in this Kingdom. I failed once. It won't happen again. Sleep will just have to wait." Tommy said as he pulled on his cloak that held his family's crest on it and ran out the door. Kimberly watched the door for a few moments wishing he would come back and get the rest he really needed. His presence had somehow changed since the night he came back injured. It seemed as though he could tolerate her presence a little more. Perhaps he was appreciative of the care she had given him. She wasn't sure what the reason was for the change in attitude but she liked it. Kim's eyes slowly left the door when she realized he wasn't coming back in. She finally focused on the state the room was in. Tommy had rushed so suddenly out the room that he had left quite a mess. She let out a heavy sigh and knew what she was going to do that day.

Tommy rushed out to the usual posts to check on the guards. The Knights that were stationed were surprised to see him out and about so late.

"Young Prince. We were beginning to worry about you." The Knights said jokingly.

"Sorry about that. I suppose I just needed to catch up on some sleep."

"Don't worry you're Highness. I think we are fine on Knights today. Get some rest." Tommy smiled and left them in hopes someone would require a break and allow him to fill in. His search for something to do was not leading anywhere. The Knights knew how hard Tommy had been working since the attack and figured he would run out of energy eventually. The Knights that were on guard duty were grateful for his offer to help but each one agreed that he needed to take the day off.

Tommy made his way to the stable when he realized there was nothing for him to do. He readied his horse and took off to the field that once held such wonderful memories for him. His defenses were high for the first half hour that he was in the field. When he finally felt that he was not in any sort of imminent danger, Tommy slid off his horse and allowed it to graze while he took shelter from the sun under a familiar tree. It had been years since he last visited the flowery field. He had been far to busy training himself to become a better swordsman and planning his revenge on those who had betrayed him to spare any time to relax and relish in the peace that the field had once offered. He looked around the field and noticed a few new trees had grown amongst the rainbow colored flowers. A gentle breeze blew through the air causing the branches of the willow tree he lay under to sway back and forth. Tommy closed his eyes and recalled the days when he played in the tree with his cousin and his once best friend. A small rustle stirred Tommy from his day dream and he was up in an instant, sword in hand and ready for battle. He slowly crept up on the bush hidden under a petite tree where the rustling had occurred. He let out a frustrated sigh when a small rabbit scurried away as he approached. A slight pink sparkle caught his eye as he turned from the bush. Tommy knelt down and realized that the bush was nothing more than large weeds that had grown over something. He used his sword to clear the weeds. His breath caught in his throat when he realized what was hiding under the overgrowth.

"Katherine." Tommy whispered as he gently brushed his fingers across the name that was engraved on the headstone.

Adam had kept himself busy during the morning hours making house calls to some of his older patients and also to the "parents" of Keira. It was well into the afternoon when he made his way back to the castle to visit with Kimberly. He knocked on the door as he slowly opened it waiting for someone to stop him. He really didn't want to walk in on another intimate moment between the two. Adam couldn't believe his eyes. The room was in shambles.

"Kim? Where are you?" Adam said, worry very apparent in his voice. Kimberly popped out of the bathroom carrying a large wet blanket. Seeing Adam standing in the room surprised her a bit for she had not heard him walk in or call out to her.

"What's the matter, Adam?"

"What are you doing?" He asked as he carefully maneuvered around the piles of laundry.

"I'm just cleaning up. Tommy left in such a hurry earlier and left the room a mess. So I decided to clean up. Guess I made quite a mess in here myself." Kim said with a laugh. Adam laughed a little and helped her set the damp blanket out on the balcony to dry.

"Speaking of my pain in the ass cousin...have any idea where he is?"

"He woke up late and ran out of here. He said something about it's his duty of protect the people. Maybe he's out with the Knights." Adam rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood to go on a wild goose hunt throughout the Kingdom but Tommy was one person he wanted to check on.

"Alright. I guess I'll go look for him. Are you going to be alright in here?"

"I'll be fine, Adam. Thank you and good luck." Kim said smiling. He waved goodbye and left Kim in the mess of a room. Adam's search took longer than he had hoped. He seemed to have asked every single Knight where the Prince had gone to but none of them knew. _If he's not on guard duty then where the hell is he? _Adam thought. It wasn't until he passed by the stables did he figure out where Tommy had wandered off to. He hopped on his own horse and headed off towards the field. Adam wasn't much of a warrior but knew the dangers of being out in the open. He too kept his guard up especially when he noticed Tommy's horse grazing in the field alone. He jumped off his horse and looked almost exactly like Tommy had. He held his sword in his hand and quietly monitored his surroundings while searching for his cousin. He heard the sound of Tommy's voice coming from behind a tree and slowly approached it.

"Things would be so different if you were here Katherine." Tommy said looking out into the field. Adam stayed hidden behind the small tree and listened as his cousin continued to talk to the grave.

"I don't know what to do anymore. Everything has gotten so out of hand. I wanted this. I wanted them to suffer by my hands. I wanted them to feel the pain I felt when they betrayed me." Tommy could feel the anger building in him as he remembered the Hart family's and his mother's past transgressions.

"I allowed that hatred to consume me. I acted upon that anger and regret the things I have done to your daughter. I'm so stupid." Tommy said covering his face with his hands and rubbing his temples.

"You were a kid." Adam said as he revealed himself from behind the tree. Tommy grabbed his sword without hesitation but put it back down as Adam took a seat next to him. "We were all kids."

"That doesn't excuse what I've done. I wasn't a kid when I did what I did." Tommy said as Adam placed a hand on his shoulder. She had taken care of him when she could have let him bleed or get an infection. She had stayed with him even though she knew her sister was in the castle and injured.

"I hate to say this but it's too late for these feelings Tommy. It's going to get far worse for you if you continue to act on them." Adam said knowing how Tommy truly felt about Kim in his heart. He had seen it from the beginning. If he really hated her he would have killed her that night...would have stayed quiet and allowed Nicholas to take her...would have let her sister die. But he didn't.

"What are you talking about Adam?" Tommy asked a bit confused about the feelings he was referring to. Regret? Guilt?

"It's too late for love." Adam said resolutely. Tommy tried his best not to laugh at his cousin.

"I think the heat has melted that small brain of yours." Tommy joked and gave Adam a small push.

"Joke all you want but just remember my warning." Adam said giving his cousin a push back. The pushing led to laughing and the laughing led to play.

Nicholas wandered the Kingdom bored to his wits end. He had missed the battle with the rogue warriors and was more than pissed to learn that his Prince had been part of the action. He had been "busy" with an all too familiar well endowed blonde citizen of Anteros at the time of the attack. He let out a bored sigh as he wandered into the castle. Yes, he should have been on guard duty but he really wasn't in the mood to stand in one position all day and stare at nothingness. He knew the rogue warriors would not attack again. They were not stupid. Perhaps a little quarrel or sparring match with his Prince would keep him entertained. At least it would allow him the satisfaction of letting out some pent up aggression. Nicholas made his way over to Tommy's chambers and opened the door without knocking.

"Hello again Ad...Nicholas?" Kim said concern growing as she realized just who had entered the chambers so nonchalantly.

"Hello there." Nicholas said with a smirk. "Any idea where I might find the Prince?" Nicholas asked as he looked around. He noticed a few sheets hanging over the balcony drying in the sun. The room was rather clean with the exception of one last pile of laundry that was on the floor.

"He hasn't been here all day. I think he might be with the Knights but I'm not certain." Kim said hoping the Knight would leave. She recalled how their last encounter had played out and was not looking forward for an encore. An evil smile crept upon his face. He knew the Prince was not with the Knights.

"What a shame. He's off keeping himself busy with guard duty while you clean up after him. This is no way to treat you." He said as he closed the door behind himself.

"I really don't mind. It keeps me busy." Kim said and started to pick up the remaining laundry. Nicholas followed her as she walked to the balcony. Was this a good idea? Most likely not but if the Prince was not going to enjoy her company then he would. He wrapped his arms around her before she could reach the balcony door and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her intoxicating smell.

"It's time to take a break Princess." Nicholas whispered into her ear.

"Let go of me." Kim said trying to wiggle out of his grasp. Nicholas smiled and tightened his hold on her. He brought his lips down onto her neck and moaned as he tasted her skin. Forbidden fruit was by far the tastiest fruit in the world.

"I demand that you let me go now!" Kim almost growled at him. Nicholas laughed at her feeble attempts to get free of his grasp.

"Come on Princess. Live a little." He said letting her go. Kim glared at him.

"You need to leave. I already told you that Tommy is with the Knights. Go find him and leave me alone." Nicholas stood his ground and stared her up and down. He made no attempt to leave.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you crossed me, Nicholas?" Kim asked with a victorious smile. He remembered their last encounter when he forced himself on her. A slight pain in his groin shot up to his brain making his smirk turn to a frown.

"Is that a threat my dear?" Nicholas' mood had turned quite sour. He usually like a game of cat and mouse but not when his genitals were in danger.

"No, Nicholas." Kim said walking towards him. When she was close enough, she defiantly said, "It's a promise." Nicholas' smirk returned to his face. She had made a very dangerous mistake. He grabbed her leg as she moved to try and strike him once again in his weak spot. Kimberly lost her balance and fell back onto the floor hard. She knew she was in trouble. She was alone. Tommy was gone and Adam was out searching for him. Kim scrambled to the balcony to attempt to yell for help. It took Nicholas a few seconds to realize what she was planning. He caught her within seconds. He wrapped one arm around her waist and placed his other hand on her mouth muffling her cry. Kim tried to grab hold of the blanket that rested on the balcony but the damp material slipped through her fingers. The blanket fell from the balcony and landed right outside the castle doors. Nicholas pulled Kim back into the room and closed the balcony door behind him. She struggled against him, scratched his arms as best she could. He dropped her roughly onto the floor and used his weight to pin her down.

"LET ME GO!" Kim yelled. Kim regretted yelling as soon as she felt her cheek burning from the slap he had just given her. She could taste copper in her mouth.

"Stop your yelling. You'll enjoy it more if you stop fighting." His anger had reached its peak. Silent tears fell from her eyes as he tore her clothes and roughly groped her. His evil smile had returned to his face as her attempts to fight had lessened. He was going to have her whether she liked it or not. He'd deal with the consequences, meaning Tommy, later.

Tommy and Adam sat in the branches of the willow tree watching the flowers sway in the breeze like waves on a rainbow colored ocean. They had run around the field playing like they had done so many years ago and were now sitting in the branches of the willow tree.

"Are you ready to head back?" Adam asked as he noticed the golden hue that was starting to spread across the sky. Tommy knew that despite his age and his fighting ability, Adam still held some fear of being in the field after sunset. He nodded and dropped down from the low branch onto the soft ground. The two cousins called out to their horses and waited for them to trot over to them. Tommy hopped onto his horse and looked one last time at the grave of the former queen of Danae. The two reminisced of times from their youth on the way back to the castle. Tommy felt different after his trip to the field. It was like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The two laughed as they walked back to the castle after they had taken their horses back to the stables.

"Maybe we should grab something to eat for Kimberly." Adam said as they passed by a vendor selling something that smelled delicious. "She has been cleaning like crazy since you left." Adam was too busy smelling the air to notice that Tommy had stopped and ended up running in to him.

"Ow! What the hell?" Adam started but stopped when he saw what had made his cousin stop dead in his tracks. The blanket from Tommy's room was on the floor in front of them. Adam looked up to the balcony above them that lead to Tommy's chambers.

"Isn't this your -" Adam did not get the chance to finish his question. Tommy had taken off in a full sprint, with Adam close behind, into the castle and up the many stairs that led to his chambers. Something was wrong. His lungs were burning when he finally reached his door. It took a few seconds for Tommy and Adam to really understand what was happening. Nicholas looked up the moment the door swung open but made no effort to stop what he was doing. He sent a satisfied smirk in Tommy's direction. It was that arrogant smirk that pushed Tommy over the edge. He stormed over to Nicholas, pulled him off of Kim and threw him to the side. Adam rushed to Kim's side, picked her up as gently as he could, and took her to Tommy's room. Nicholas laughed as he pushed himself up to his feet. He was longing for a fight and this was going to be a good one.

"Why so angry Prince? She's just a slave, isn't she?" Nicholas pushed, hoping the Prince would slip up. Hoping he would show some sign that the girl meant more to him than she should. Tommy refused to answer. He lunged himself at Nicholas who wasn't expecting the sudden attack. Tommy had him down and was ready to kill. He began his onslaught of punches that he felt would have no end. Adam could hear the brutal beating from inside the room but his priority was to make sure Kimberly was ok. He looked her over quickly trying to make sure she was not injured too badly. For the most part, she was fine physically. He hadn't managed to rape her but he had busted her lip and had surely done some emotional scarring.

"I'll be back soon. If I don't go out there he's going to kill him." Adam said trying to comfort the poor girl that was still clinging onto his shirt. She nodded and loosened her grip when she felt him stroke her hair. Adam ran out of the room and pulled his cousin off of the demented Knight. Tommy didn't want to stop. He wanted him dead.

"Kimberly is fine." Adam said hoping that would be enough to pull Tommy out of his rage induced mindset. Tommy's heavy breathing slowed a bit as he fully took in what Adam had said. His vision had cleared and was finally able to see the damage he had done to Nicholas. He pushed himself to his feet and took one last look at the bloody mess beneath him before storming off to his bedroom.

"Don't you dare save him." Tommy said as he walked into his room slamming the door behind him. Adam turned to face the still Knight. _Please don't be dead. _Adam prayed. He knew that Tommy's father would not be pleased to find out that his son had killed one of their very own Knights for the sake of the former Princess of Danae. Nicholas let out a pained moan as if on cue. He walked over to him and looked over the damage his cousin had done to him. He was beaten badly. His nose was no doubt broken and both eyes were swollen shut. Nobody would be able to tell who he was, well at least not until the blood was cleaned off and the bruising and swelling went down. Adam glared as he pulled the broken man to his feet and dragged him to the infirmary.

"Please. Give me something." Nicholas begged as he lay in severe pain on the bed. Adam had inspected the injuries Tommy had given him. Nothing was too serious. He wouldn't die from his injuries but he was definitely going to be in a lot of pain for a very long time.

"Here." Adam tossed a small wet towel onto Nicholas' chest. "Clean yourself up." And with that Adam left.

Tommy noticed Kim jump a little on the bed when she heard the door slam. She was curled up in a ball on his bed crying. He could feel his chest tighten as he heard her quiet sobs. He walked over to the bed and gently sat down next to her. He had no idea what to say or what to do. Tommy hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the feel of his fingers on her skin.

"It's me. It's ok now." He said quietly. Kim's crying slowed now that she understood that she was out of danger. She turned to Tommy and wanted to thank him but couldn't find the words. He smiled gently down at her and looked over her beaten face. Her lip was busted and her cheek was beginning to bruise. Tommy walked to the bathroom and gathered the medical kit that Adam had given him. He used a damp cloth to carefully wipe the dried blood off of her face. He readied an ice pack and held it against her cheek.

"Ow!" Kim said trying to pull away.

"Sorry." Tommy said instantly. He hadn't meant to hurt her any more than she already was.

"It's ok. It just stung a little." Kim said managing a small smile.

"I'm sorry he tried to...to..." Tommy couldn't bring himself to say what Nicholas had tried to do to her. It made him sick just to think about it. "He won't dare hurt you again."

"Thank you for what you did." Kim said squeezing the hand that was holding the ice pack to her face. Tommy simply smiled at her. He wanted to apologize for not getting there sooner...for not killing him. He wanted to let her know nothing would happen to her anymore but knew it was most likely a promise he wouldn't be able to keep. He knew how word spread like wild fire within the Kingdom walls. Someone had to know about the scuffle. His father was bound to find out sooner or later and Tommy knew it was going to be a rather difficult discussion to have. Tommy stood and gathered some clean clothes for her, laying them on the bed and started to walk to the door.

"Please." She didn't want him to leave.

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving tonight. Go ahead and get cleaned up and get some rest. I'll be right outside the door." Memories of when they were younger flooded Kim's mind. She recalled a similar scene between them when he told her not to worry...that he would protect her.

Kim was surprised to find that sleep had come so easily that night. She knew she was tired but she feared her dreams would be plagued with Nicholas attempting to attack her again. Unconsciously, her mind knew nothing would happen so long as Tommy was there. The next day, while Kim and Tommy were doing their morning routines, there came a knock on the door. Tommy was surprised to see one of the Knights on the other side. The King had found out about the fight much faster than Tommy had expected.

"Young Prince. Your father would like a word with you." The Knight said reluctantly.

"I'll be right there." Tommy said before turning to Kimberly. "Lock the door and open it for no one." She nodded and knew the matter was serious. Tommy kept his head held high as he walked into his father's throne room.

"You wanted to see me father?"

"What is this I hear about you nearly killing one of our Knights?" King Thomas wasted no time to get to the point. He had not been too thrilled when he heard the news.

"He no longer deserves to be a Knight after what he did." Tommy said trying to stay as calm as possible.

"You are not the one to decide this."

"Nicholas attempted to rape Ki- my slave. Every single person within this Kingdom knows that they are not to touch something that belongs to us. Hell, even people outside the Kingdom know this."

"I am well aware of this Tommy. But what was the point in nearly killing him? I could understand the need to kill him if he were attempting to harm someone you love but we are talking about your slave." Tommy knew he was in trouble. He had to think quickly.

"You're right father. I overreacted. I will apologize as soon as he recovers." Tommy bowed down before his father and turned to leave.

"Tommy." King Thomas called as his soon reached the door. "Do you have any regrets?" Tommy knew what his father was referring to. He wanted to know if he regretted the attack on Danae and his decision to lock away the royals for life. Tommy shook his head and whispered no before leaving the throne room. _He's always been bad at lying. _King Thomas thought as he let out a heavy and disappointed sigh.

It took a few weeks for Nicholas to fully recover. His face still held many discolored bruises but at least now he could see. Tommy never apologized to the Knight nor did he have any intentions of ever doing so. Tommy was not afraid of him retaliating against him but did worry about leaving Kim in the room. Tommy couldn't stay in the room to protect her if the idiotic Knight choose to make that mistake again.

"Starting today you'll be accompanying me everywhere I go." Tommy said to Kim on the day that Nicholas was released from the infirmary. "You'll get up early, get ready and you are not to leave my side."

"Tommy, is that really necessary? I mean, Adam's here. I could stay in the infirmary with him."

"I want you with me." Tommy said and immediately wished he hadn't. It had come out the wrong way. "I mean...you're safer with me."

"Then I guess there's no point in arguing about it." Kim smiled knowing he was only trying to keep her safe. The Prince received several odd stares from both the Knights and citizens of Anteros. Tommy did his best to ignore the looks and whispers. The entire purpose of her being with him was so that he may continue to protect his Kingdom as well as her. The Knights were shocked to see the Prince so close to the former Princess. The citizens held mixed emotions of the two being out together. Those who were loyal to the royals of Danae were thrilled to see her though they dare not show it in front of the Prince. The others, whom were loyal to the royals of Anteros, felt a bit of annoyance seeing Kimberly at the Prince's side, especially the girls who were overly infatuated with the Prince himself. Kat stood amongst the crowd of onlookers and watched as the two walked by. She hated how close he kept her to himself. She had to suppress the urge to vomit when she noticed him occasionally grab Kim's hand and pull her closer to him. She couldn't believe the way he was acting around her. She had had enough of staring at the two. She was not one to just stand by and let something she wanted walk by her. Kat pushed herself through the crowd and quickly caught up to the duo. She gave Kim a slight nudge as she walked by her and wrapped her arms around the Prince making sure to press her supple breasts against his back.

"Good afternoon, my dear Prince." Tommy stopped dead in his tracks when he felt her pushing against him and turned around to face her. He had kept his distance since his last encounter with her.

"Good afternoon Kat." Tommy said as he gently tried to pry her arms off of him. Kat released her hold on him and turned to stare at Kimberly. She looked her up and down with a very unimpressed look on her face before letting out a little laugh. Kim couldn't help but glare at the rude girl standing before her. Kat turned back to Tommy and without warning pressed her lips to his, all the while sending a possessive glare to Kimberly. She slowly pulled away from his lips brought her mouth to his ear.

"I really don't see how you confused me for her. Not much competition there." Kat made sure she spoke loud enough for Kim to hear. She laughed again and sent another satisfied smirk in Kimberly's direction before sauntering away.

"Stay here. Don't move." Tommy said firmly to Kim before chasing after Kat. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby alley. Kat struggled against his firm hold.

"Ow Tommy! I know you like it rough but-" Kat started but stopped when he pushed her back against the brick wall of the alleyway.

"Enough! I will not allow you to disrespect me Kat." Tommy said sternly as he fiercely stared her down.

"How the hell did I disrespect you?"

"The way you speak to me is disrespectful. Just because we have had relations in the PAST it does not mean you can forget that I am the Prince of Anteros."

"I have not forgotten who you are but it seems you have. She is a slave yet you're sporting her around the Kingdom like some sort of trophy. You are a Prince! You deserve to have a beautiful LADY on your arm not some slave." Tommy punched the brick wall right by her head. Kat jumped the instant his fist connected with the brick wall. Neither spoke for what felt like hours.

"What I chose to do with her is none of your business. I am done with you Kat. Do not speak to me anymore." Tommy turned and walked back out of the alley, his fist throbbing with pain.

"Are you ok?" Kim asked as he walked back to her.

"I'm fine." Tommy said as he ripped off a piece of her shirt and wrapped it around his now bleeding fist.

"Why are you ripping my clothes?" Tommy rolled his eyes and showed her his fist. Small red spots started to show on the cloth that was wrapped around it.

"What did you...forget it." Kim said rolling her eyes at him. Tommy caught the sight of Kat walking out of the alley. She shot him a glare which he sent right back at her. He looked at Kim who was checking out his hand to make sure no bones were broken_. So, I should be walking around with a lady?_ _She's more of a lady than Kat will ever be_. Tommy thought as he carefully looked over the woman standing next to him. It was then that Tommy got a wonderful idea. He grabbed Kim's hand with his injured one and led her back to the castle.

"Tommy, what is going on? Do you need to see Adam?" Tommy didn't talk as he led her through the crowd and back to the castle. He took her through the maze of the corridors to a small room on the other side of the castle. He knocked on the door and a tiny elderly woman answered.

"Oh, young Prince." the woman said in a shaky voice. "How are you today?" Tommy smiled. It seemed as though all of his anger washed away when he looked upon the smiling face of the elderly woman.

"I'm fine Sophie. I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course, of course. Come in now dears." Sophie said and allowed the two to enter her small room. "Now how can I help you?" she asked as she closed the door.

"I would like you to make some dresses for Kimberly."

"What are you...I thought..." Kimberly was cut off by the sound of Sophie laughing.

"I haven't made a dress in so long!" Sophie ran off as fast as her small legs would carry her.

"She's the royal tailor. The best tailor I know of." Tommy said as he took a seat in a nearby chair.

"I thought you didn't want me to wear dresses." Kim said sadly as she recalled the day he had seen her in the dress Adam had bought for her. Tommy grabbed Kim's hand and held it in his. It was a comforting hold as if to say he was sorry for being such a royal asshole before. Kim smiled a little acknowledging his silent apology. Sophie let out a little cough to get the attention of the two.

"Sorry to break this up but I would like to borrow this beautiful young lady. That is if you don't mind, young Prince." Sophie said a hint of laughter in her voice. She had not seen Tommy behave this way with any other person before and she found it quite amusing and adorable. Tommy let go of Kim's hand and nodded letting Sophie know she could take Kim. Kim followed Sophie into another room. She finally realized that the previous room they were in was only the sitting area for Sophie. Her entire home was spread throughout several rooms that connected together. The room that they were in held all of Sophie's sewing equipment. The little woman grabbed her measuring tape and got to work getting Kim's measurements.

"Now, dearie, how did you two meet?" Sophie asked. She had been curious from the moment she saw the two together.

"Ummm..we've known each other since we were children."

"Oh that's nice." Sophie said as she continued to work. "How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, we're not together." Kim said shaking her head.

"Don't you worry. You two will be together soon enough. I can see it in his eyes and in your eyes too." Sophie said as she smiled up at Kimberly. "Now, I've got you all measured up. What colors would you like your dresses to be?" Kim smiled at the sweet lady but couldn't help but doubt her prediction.

"I've always been fond of pink."

"I will have some gorgeous dresses for you in a weeks time." Sophie said as she led Kim to a closet. "But for now these dresses will have to do." The closet Sophie opened held a rainbow of beautiful dresses. Sophie pulled out a simple rose colored dress that had extravagant beadwork on it and handed it to Kimberly. Kim changed into it and allowed Sophie to quickly fix it to fit her petite form. Sophie fixed four dresses for Kimberly and handed them to her. "I'm sorry you have to use these but I can't have you leaving in these borrowed clothes." Sophie said as she folded the oversized men's shirt and pants.

"These are wonderful, Sophie. Thank you so much." Sophie led Kimberly back to Tommy. He stood as the two returned to the room. The sight of Kimberly in the pink dress took his breath away.

"Wow." He whispered as he looked over the vision that stood before him.

"This is all I have for her at the moment. I'll take the rest of the dresses to you once I finish them." Sophie explained to Tommy and noticed that he couldn't take his eyes off of Kimberly.

"Ok then, off with you two. Go and spend the rest of the day together." Sophie grabbed them both and gently pushed them out of her room.

"Thanks again for the dresses Tommy." Kim said truly thankful to be out of those oversized clothes. She felt like a girl again.

"Well I can't have you walking through the Kingdom with me looking like a man. What would people think?" Tommy said trying his best to sound serious. Kim noticed the smirk on his lips and knew that the comment had been his way of saying you're welcome. "How about we call it a day?" Tommy said as he looked out of the window and gazed at the water colored sunset sky. Kim nodded and followed behind Tommy as they made their way back to his chambers.

The next few days of following Tommy around on his rounds were maddening to Kimberly. They still received stares from everyone but now they were for a different reason. Nobody could believe, with the exception of the ex-Danae citizens, that she was the same girl walking around with him before. She still carried herself like a Princess and it was that attitude that fooled the citizens of Anteros. They had assumed that Tommy left his slave back in the room, where she belonged, and had finally found a royal to his liking. The stares, however, were not the reason Kim was going crazy. She was tired of following Tommy around on his daily rounds. She had tried to convince him to let her stay in the room if she promised to lock the door but he had refused. She did not like being treated like a child.

It was one rather humid and hot day that Kim had finally reached her limit. Tommy was helping a local grocer unload the produce they had just brought in and Kim was standing to the side but not too far from Tommy.

"Thank you so much for all of your help Prince Tommy. Let me get you some water." The man said as they finished unloading the last of the boxes.

"It's no problem at all. You worked hard too. Hey Kim. Could you get us some water?" Tommy said as he continued to move the last boxes of fruits and vegetables inside the man's little store. Kim rolled her eyes and pushed herself off of the wall she was leaning against. She went inside the man's house that was connected to his store and filled two glasses of water. Tommy wiped the sweat off his brow as he waited for Kimberly to return. He, as well as the few nearby onlookers, were rather surprised when Kimberly dumped both glasses of water on the Prince.

"What the hell?" It was all Tommy could spit out. The feel of having freezing cold water thrown on him was both refreshing and shocking.

"You asked for water." Kim said trying not to laugh. The onlookers stood in silence. What was the Prince going to do to her? Their worst fears arose in them as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"You're in trouble now." Tommy said as he stormed off.

"Hey, put me down! Where are you going?" Kim said hitting his back. More and more people stopped to watched as the Prince walked by with Kimberly. They had finally reached the place where he had chosen to punish her.

"Any last words?" Tommy asked in a serious tone.

"W-what are you doing? Please..I'm sorry!"

"Too late for apologies." He said as threw her into the fountain that lay in the middle of Anteros. He kept a serious face until she popped back out from the cold water. A satisfied smirk spread across his face as he looked at her soaked form.

"You think this is funny? The least you can do now is help me out of here now that you've had your fun." Tommy held his hand out for her to take it. She was right. He had gotten his revenge and he was the victor.

Kim smiled up at him and reached for his hand. She grabbed his hand with both of hers and pulled him with her into the fountain.

Tommy fell into the fountain with a big splash. Once again the onlookers feared for Kim's safety. Tommy stood in the water and turned to Kim. The two stared each other down for a few seconds before bursting with laughter. Tommy and Kim splashed water at each other and laughed like nobody was watching them. Unfortunately, people were watching them. The citizens of Anteros, both new and old, watched as the two played in the water. Smiles spread across their faces as they realized, this was how it was supposed to be. This was how the two were meant to be together. It was a shame that it wouldn't last.

Tommy finally snapped out of his no worries mentality when he heard a few girls snickering at the scene. It was then that he realized that he was having fun, with his slave, in front of the entire Kingdom. He cleared his throat and stood, brushing the hair out of his face with his hand. Tommy stood and held out his hand for Kim.

"Thank you." Kim said taking his hand and smiling at him. Tommy helped her out of the fountain. The two did their best to wring the water out of their clothing before heading back inside to dry off properly.

"I'm sorry that I've been dragging you around everywhere." Tommy said as he dried his hair with a towel.

"It's fine. I understand that it's your duty to tend to the citizens of your Kingdom but I don't see why I have to come with you. I know you're worried about me but I'll be fine." Kim said trying to sound convincing. Tommy smiled at her from across the room.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he threw his towel on the table.

"Ready for what?" Kim asked a bit confused. Was he really going to make her go back out with him?

"Come on. I've got something to show you." He said as he grabbed her hand in his and pulled her along behind him. The two walked back outside the castle and around the perimeter towards the back. The sweet smell of flowers wafted in the air as they drew closer and closer to their destination. Kim couldn't hide the surprise on her face when they finally reached the palace gardens. Flowers beyond they eye could see and in every single color imaginable.

"Tommy this place is amazing!" Kim said releasing his hand and making her way to a bed of roses. Tommy watched as she gently touched and smelled the flowers in the garden. He had made the garden for her or at least started it when he was younger. He knew how much she loved flowers and wanted to make a garden that would blow away the garden of Danae so that she would want to stay in Anteros with him. Even after he had learned that she had hidden the affair from him he continued to care for it. He had stopped tending to the garden when he found out about Keira. When he had learned of the second secret he told the servants to take care of it. He no longer wanted it. He was even surprised at how amazing the garden looked now. Tommy sat on a bench and allowed the warm sun to fully dry his damp hair while Kim continued to wander through the garden.

"This is the best garden I have ever seen! It's even better than my garden in...well better than the garden in Danae was. I could stay out here forever." Kim said turning and smiling at him. "Thank you for bringing me here, Tommy."

"You're welcome." Tommy smiled but looked away. He couldn't deny how beautiful she looked was. Tommy couldn't stop himself from watching her mingle with the plants. He had to suppress the urge to reach out and pull her to him. To feel her body against his. Tommy let out a frustrated groan when he realized what he was thinking about.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry. Am I taking too long?" Kim asked walking over to him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Tommy said. The sinful thoughts had started becoming more frequent in his mind and that was what was worrying him.

The weeks went by with Kim staying by Tommy's side. Despite knowing that she was very capable of taking care of herself, Tommy had convinced himself that Nicholas was sure to try again. Every day he would make time to take her to the garden as to make up for the times she was stuck with him. Tommy had finally let his guard down around her. It no longer felt like slave and master relationship. He laughed more openly and a smile was often seen on his face. Kim no longer groaned when she woke up in the morning. She looked forward to spending the day with Tommy. She loved watching him interact with his people. He would make a wonderful King someday.

"Excuse me, Prince Tommy." The duo turned to see an elderly woman pulling on Tommy's shirt.

"Would you mind helping my family? I've been blessed with a grandchild and we are in need of some strong arms to help us finish building the baby's room." Tommy smiled down at the elderly woman and then turned to Kimberly.

"It would be my honor to help you out. Let me escort this young lady to the castle and I will be right with you." The elderly lady nodded and waited to the side out of the way of the crowds.

"I hate to do this to you but this is going to take a while. Lock the door when you get in the room." Tommy said as he led Kim to one of the Knights standing guard.

"I always do." Kim said and winked at him.

"I need you to take her to my chambers and then return to your post." Tommy said in a very serious tone.

"Yes sir." The Knight took Kim's hand and led her back to the castle. Tommy worked the entire day with the family. They offered to feed him dinner for all of his help but the thought of Kim being stuck in the room all day had driven him to work his ass off. The storm clouds had formed in the afternoon heat and a steady downpour had started by the time Tommy had finished and made his way back to the castle. He always found the sound of rain to be soothing so he knew he would get a good nights rest. That is until he reached his room and found the door open. Tommy's heart stopped when he looked in the room and found it empty.

"Shit!" He ran to Adam's room and prayed that she was there. Adam joined the frantic search after Tommy had come to him for help.

"I will ask Nicholas." Adam said when he realized that they were walking straight to his room.

"You are already in enough trouble with your father. Let me handle it." Adam said and pushed Tommy in the opposite direction. He had searched the entire castle before walking past a window that overlooked the garden. He looked out and let out a huge sigh of relief. The worries lifted off his shoulders which allowed the anger to set in. He rushed down to the garden ready to go off on the reckless girl. Tommy opened his mouth ready to begin his verbal onslaught but nothing came out. All he could manage to do was stand in the rain and watch her as she danced in the garden. She didn't care that it was raining. She didn't care that she was getting soaked. She was happy and carefree. He hadn't seen that side of her in so long. It was the side that he had always been in love with. He had pushed those feelings away a long time ago but they had started to resurface since the day she became his responsibility. Yes, he had been denying them but as he watched her he couldn't help but feel the walls breaking down. Kim turned one last time and finally noticed his presence.

"Oh, god I'm sorry Tommy. I know I'm supposed to be in the room but I had been in there all day and…" Kim continued on with her excuse but Tommy wasn't listening. He stared at her taking everything in and struggling with the battle that was taking place between his heart and his mind.

_I hate to say this but it's too late for these feelings Tommy. It's going to get far worse _

_for you if you continue to act on them. _Adam's voice played in Tommy's mind. **I know**.

_It's too late for love. _**I know**. _Are you ready for the consequences of your actions_

_if you so choose to let the wall break?_ **Yes**. _Are you ready to let it all go? _

"Please, say something." Kim begged. She had finished explaining her actions yet he had remained silent, staring at her. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of silence, Tommy nodded. Kim was confused by the nod. She had no idea what he was acknowledging. Tommy smiled and walked to Kim. Without one word, he pulled her into his arms and brought his lips down onto hers.

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><p>AN: And there you have it folks! Finally...the T/K part of the story has emerged! Or has it? Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuun lol. I know this chapter is super long but I just couldn't cut it down. It is (at the moment) the longest chapter of the story. I hope that you all enjoy it. Just a quick heads up, there _might_ not be an update next week. Graduation is on the first and so many things need to get done at that time. Ok have a great week and hopefully I'll post another chapter next week but no promises XD Laterz!  
>~Lina<p> 


	12. 11: Love Admitted & Secrets Revealed

**Warning! Mature content in this chapter. You've been fairly warned.**

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><p>Chapter 11 - Love Admitted &amp; Secrets Revealed<p>

_"__Kisses are like tears, the only real ones are the ones you can't hold back."_

The kiss came so suddenly onto Kimberly's lips that she found herself unable to really comprehend what was happening. The low rumbling of thunder in the distance seemed to jump start her mind. Slowly, she started to take everything in. The cool sensation of the rain as it fell onto her hot skin…the rapid pounding beneath her hand of a heartbeat belonging to another…the gentle touch of loving hands that were cupping her face…and finally the intense and fiery kiss that was being placed on her lips.

Tommy poured everything into the kiss. He hoped she could feel the longing and love he held for her that he had been denying for so many years. Slowly he pulled away from the soft lips that he had yearned for.

"I love you." Tommy said quietly. He was surprised at how easily the words had come from his mouth.

"What?" It was all she could manage to say after his confession. Her mind was still reeling from the sudden kiss that it wasn't ready to grasp the words that he had said. A small chuckle escaped his lips. He placed a gentle hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking directly at him. He watched as her eyes scanned his begging for answers.

"I love you." Kim's eyes grew wide as he repeated himself. She couldn't believe what she was hearing nor did she know what to say. She had always wanted to hear those words come from him but that was before everything had happened. After the attack she swore she would no longer love the man that ruined her life. Why? Why was she still happy to hear him say those three words? Kim didn't realize that she was crying until she felt Tommy wipe the tears away.

"Let's get out of the rain." He gave her a reassuring smile and gently grabbed her hand as he led her back inside. An evil smirk spread across Nicholas' face as he stepped out of the shadows and watched the two walk hand in hand. He had seen and heard everything.

The rain had soaked both Tommy and Kim to the bone. If they had been walking around in the afternoon everything would be fine but the cool night air had set in causing both to shiver as they walked to the room. It was a long and quiet walk back inside. Kim still hadn't responded to his confession.

"Go ahead and take a shower. I'll wait till you're done." Tommy said as they walked into his chambers. Kim nodded and grabbed some dry clothes before heading into the bathroom. He let out a heavy sigh as he quickly discarded his wet clothing and slipped into some comfortable dry pants. He made his way back to the living area and plopped down onto the couch. _I did it. I said it. _Tommy thought as he sat alone. _Now what?_ Was she really going to accept his feelings after everything he had put her through? He did regret everything but feeling regret wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't going to magically erase his past transgressions.

The shower was exactly what Kim needed. It warmed her frozen body and gave her time alone to think. She never in her life expected him to confess his love to her. Yes, she had dreamed about it but that was a long time ago. Did she still love him? Despite everything that had happened the answer was still yes. Kim dried her hair as she walked out of the room. Tommy was sound asleep on the couch. He had had a long day. He had patrolled, helped build a room, frantically searched for her and confessed. Kim couldn't help but smile as she walked over to him. His hair was still wet and dripping on the couch.

"You're going to get sick if you don't dry yourself properly." she said quietly as she took a seat next to him on the couch. She did her best to dry his hair as gently as she could so as not to wake him.

"Thank you." Tommy said quietly. Kim stopped her actions immediately. She turned away as a light blush spread across her face.

"You're welcome. You should take a shower before you get sick." Kim said and pushed herself off of the couch. Tommy stood and grabbed hold of her hand before she could walk away from him. Although she had acknowledged her own feelings she wasn't ready to face him. She wanted to have a proper conversation about their situation. Nevertheless, she knew that if he kissed her again she wouldn't be able to stop herself from letting him continue. Tommy pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry…for everything. If I could take it all back I would." He whispered. The feel of his breath against her ear gave her goose bumps. Kim knew what he meant. She felt the same way.

"Me too." She said as she gently pushed his arms away so that she could turn around and face him. She brushed a few damp strands of hair out of his face before gently touching his cheek. Tommy leaned into her soothing touch and closed his eyes. It should have been this way from the beginning. Tommy opened his eyes slowly and gazed at the beautiful woman in his arms. He loved her but did she still love him? He had to know. Slowly he began to bring his face down to hers. A deep blush spread across Kim's face as she realized he was closing the distance between them. She had plenty of time to stop him if she had chosen to do so but there was a yearning inside of her that longed to feel his lips against hers once again. He knew that doing this was most likely going to cause both of them a lot of trouble but he didn't care. He would face anything as long as he had her. Tommy slowly pressed his lips against hers and smiled when he felt her kissing him back.

Adam had searched his half of the castle frantically looking for Kimberly. She had to have known the dangers of wandering around the castle alone. What if Nicholas found her? What if the King found her? A light coming from a familiar room caught his eye as he searched through the castle. The light was on in Tommy's room. Adam let out the breath he had been holding and began to make his way to his cousin's room.

"Tommy must have found her. He wouldn't go back without her." Adam said sounding more like he was trying to convince himself. It didn't take long for him to reach the room. Adam opened the door and immediately regret doing so. There they were wrapped in each others arms. Tommy wearing only pants and Kim wearing only a nightshirt. His face turned bright red. He couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger but it didn't matter. He had walked in on them in too many awkward positions and this one topped them all. Tommy and Kim reluctantly pulled away from each other to take a breath and look to see who had interrupted them. Tommy took one look at Adam and knew he was in trouble. _This is not going to be good._ He thought to himself as he remembered his cousin's previous warnings about starting a relationship with Kimberly. Tommy opened his mouth to give him an explanation but was cut off before he could say anything.

"Learn to lock your god damned door!" Adam yelled before slamming the door shut and storming off to his room, still red in the face. Tommy stood completely shocked that that was all he had to say. The sound of Kim's laughter brought him back to reality and he couldn't help but join in and laugh at Adam's embarrassment.

"You really do need to take a shower." Kim said as she threw her towel at him. His hair was still dripping and if he stayed that way he would definitely catch a cold. Tommy nodded and made his way to the room. Kim smiled and locked the door Adam had complained about before heading to the room and laying down on the bed. It had been an extremely long day and so much had happened. Before she knew it her eyes fluttered shut and she was fast asleep. Tommy was very surprised when he came out of the shower and found Kim sprawled out over the bed. He let out a little chuckle and covered her with a small blanket. Despite stretching out over the bed there was still plenty of room for him to join her. They were both exhausted. He crawled onto the bed that he missed sleeping on and made himself comfortable next to her.

Kim was very surprised to wake up the next morning wrapped in a strong and warm embrace. Tommy's arms were loosely wrapped around her and his head was resting on her shoulder. She had really expected that the previous day's events had been a dream but seeing him next to her confirmed the reality of it all. She glanced down at him as he slept and couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. Like all of his worries had lifted off of his chest. Kim smiled and leaned down to place a small kiss on his forehead.

"Good morning." Tommy said sleepily as he stirred from the movement and the kiss he received.

"G-good morning." Kim said a little embarrassed that she had woken him. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She prayed that it would go unnoticed.

"Are you blushing?" Tommy asked playfully. Kim threw her arms over her face and gave him a muffled no for an answer. "Yes, you are let me see." Tommy said trying to pull her arms away from her face. The two played and laughed for a little bit until Tommy pinned Kim's arms above her head. It took them a few seconds to realize the position they were both in. Tommy was on top of Kim, had her arms pinned down, and was positioned between her legs. The blush spread across both of their faces when they finally realized how it looked.

"I guess now would be the perfect time for Adam to bust into the room." Tommy said jokingly tying hard not to focus on the fact that there wasn't much clothing between the two of them. Really it was only his pair of pants, the oversized shirt she was wearing, and her underwear that were in the way.

"He can't come in. I locked the door last night." Kim said not really thinking of what her words had implied. Tommy could feel his heart beating faster. They were alone and nobody could disturb them. Visions of his previous dreams and hallucinations infiltrated his mind. The feel of her grinding against him, the sound of her moans. Yes, it had all been in his head but it felt so real. It was all starting to become too much for him. If he didn't leave now he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Despite knowing how dangerously close he was to losing control, he made no attempt to move away. He had no idea that Kim was feeling the same sexual tension that he was. She probably realized their awkward position before he did. She was very away of the fact that he was settled nicely between her legs, she could feel it. The sight of his naked chest hovering above her, the firm yet gentle grip on her hands, the subtle feeling of him rubbing against her had pushed her senses to the limit. She loved him and he loved her. There was nothing wrong with taking their love one step further. She could tell he was holding back, reasons no doubt having to do with their situation. But she didn't care anymore. If she had to be the one to make the first move then so be it.

Kim moved her hands free of his and used them to push herself up. Tommy was stunned when he felt her lips being pressed against his. He was even more surprised when he felt her tongue run across his lips. His mind was slow to grasp what was happening but when it all clicked he decided to take the lead. He willingly opened his mouth allowing her to enter and massaged her tongue with his. Tommy gently pushed her back down onto the bed all the while continuing with the intense kiss. Kim's hands roamed over his muscular back for a bit before finally tangling themselves in his hair. Tommy's hands, however, had made their way to her legs and were caressing them up and down, each time moving closer and closer to her underwear. Kim pulled away from his kiss and let out a small moan when his hand reached its intended destination. Tommy used this small break to catch his breath and trail fiery kisses down her neck and to her collar bone. He pulled his hand away from her and received a tiny groan of disapproval. He knew she wouldn't like the fact that he stopped and he wasn't too thrilled that she wasn't squirming under him but he had to take off her shirt. He wanted to see her full beauty. Tommy began with the bottom most button and placed wet kisses on the new areas of skin that were unveiled. The only thing holding the shirt onto Kim were the sleeves. Tommy' kisses stopped when the shirt hung loosely on her shoulders. Kim opened her lust filled eyes and was taken aback to see that he was just staring at her. Was something wrong? Did he not like what he saw. She began to feel self conscious and started to wrap the shirt back around her but was stopped by him.

"You are so beautiful." He said looking down at her lovingly.

"You're just saying that because I'm naked." Kim said playfully and turned away, a hint of pink forming on her cheeks. She was trying to play tough but it was hard when she felt so embarrassed.

"You've always been beautiful." Tommy said before leaning down and pulling her into another passionate kiss. He had almost lost control when he looked upon her naked form. If it wasn't for her witty remark he would have taken her right then and there but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted their first time to be slow and passionate but that was easier said than done. Kim wasn't making it any easier on him either. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her now wet panties against his hard member. Tommy pulled away from her kiss but held her tight as he moved them to a sitting position with her on his lap thus giving her better access to grind on him. His hands wandered her back while he sucked on her right breast.

"Ahhhhhh." her moan escaped her lips without her even realizing it. The sound of her pleasure and the feel of her gyrating was enough to get him to let out a moan as well. Control was going out the window.

"Please." Kim said in just above a whisper. He knew what she was asking for. He wanted it too.

"What is it that you want Kim?" He asked teasingly. She pouted when she heard his question. He knew damn well what she wanted. Why did he have to make her say something so embarrassing? "Tell me."

"I-I want you." Kim said looking away from his penetrating stare. That was all he needed to hear. He lay her back down and pulled off his pants while she pulled off her underwear. He positioned himself at her entrance, feeling her juices drip onto him.

"I love you Kimberly." Tommy said sincerely before pressing his lips against hers and plunging deep inside of her. Kim's moans were muffled by his intense kiss. Slowly he moved in and out of her enjoying the sensation of her tightness. He wasn't much for being a loud lover but there was something about Kim that made him moan more and louder than usual. It didn't take long for Kim's hips to start moving in time with his. It felt so good to finally make love to the girl he had always been in love with. He mentally cursed himself for being such an arrogant asshole who was in denial and not doing it sooner. Tommy was fully enjoying himself but he wanted to feel more of her. He pushed himself back up holding her tight against him into the sitting position they had been in earlier. Kim slowly slid down his member and took him fully inside herself. It was so much deeper than before and had hit a certain spot that made her gasp every time he moved.

"Feel good?" Tommy asked already knowing the answer. It felt amazing. Slowly he helped her moved up and down but within seconds she was doing it on her own and driving him crazy. Tommy's head fell back as she swiveled her hips in different directions all the while still plunging him in and out of her. He was going to loose it soon and so was she. He could feel her getting tighter and tighter by the second. Kim's body clamped around him when she reached her peak thus making him reach his as well. Both cried out in pleasure before collapsing onto the bed. Their heavy breathing slowed as they lay next to each other. Tommy pulled a blanket over their sweaty forms and pulled her to him. She heard him say 'I love you' one last time before sleep overtook them both.

Tommy had received a pretty serious talk from Adam a few days after his confession to Kim. He warned him about showing his emotions for her publicly. He warned him that others would be able to use that against him. But Tommy just couldn't resist her. He had denied himself of her for far too long and now he couldn't get enough. He would take the consequences as they came but for the time being he was just going to enjoy being in love. The weeks went by a lot faster than they had before. Guard duty had changed dramatically from being an intense protective eye over Anteros to leisurely walks through the Kingdom with Kimberly at his side. Everyone knew the two were in love despite the fact that they denied every claim. They were cute lies but they weren't fooling anyone, especially not Kat. Even if Tommy swore he was done with her, she was not willing to hand her Prince over to the slave of Anteros. She was going to find some way to break the two apart even if it meant betraying him.

The day had started off like every other day with Tommy and Kim strolling along peacefully through the Kingdom. A pair of bitter blue eyes watched their every move as they walked and hatefully took in every single one of their guarded loving actions. The way he would hold her hand, brushed her hair out of her face, or smiled as he whispered in her ear made Kat physically sick. She didn't know if she would be able to stand looking at their behavior around each other every day for the rest of her life. The thought of fleeing the Kingdom she had grown up in crossed her mind for a second but left as quickly as it came. She couldn't leave his side. He would realize sooner or later that this _slave_ was not the one he should be with. Kat was pulled from her thoughts when she saw the Prince approached by a distraught Knight.

"Young Prince, I'm sorry to disturb you but there were a few rogues spotted scouting the field outside the Kingdom." It had been quite some time since the rogue warriors had last attacked. What were they doing so close to the Kingdom?

"Gather the Knights that are not on duty and meet me at the front gates." The Knight nodded and ran off to do as he was ordered. "I need you to stay in my chambers until I return. I don't know what the rogues are planning but it's not anything good." Tommy said as he walked hurriedly back in the direction of the castle.

"Won't it be faster if you go to the stables and meet the Knights at the entrance?" Kim asked when she noticed the route they were taking.

"I will walk you back."

"Tommy don't be stupid. This is serious . You need to get there as soon as possible. I can make it back to the castle on my own." Tommy hesitated as he thought it over. She was right of course, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her. He changed their route when the alley that led to the stables came into view. The alley was the quickest way to the stables and a great place to talk to Kim alone, away from prying eyes. Tommy stopped and turned to Kim once they reached the darker part of the alley.

"Go straight to the castle Kim." Tommy said seriously.

"I will. I promise." Kim said reassuringly trying to quell his worries. Tommy smiled down at her and placed a quick but loving kiss on her lips before heading to the stables. Kim let out a small sigh. If only they could show their feelings for each other in the open. She turned and began to make her way out of the dark alleyway but stopped when she heard movement from behind her.

"It must be so nice to be you." Kat said as she walked out of the shadows, sarcasm dripping off of her every word.

"You have the love of the Prince and no worries in the world. Too bad the same can't be said for your family. Oh well, I suppose being locked in the dungeon for the rest of their lives doesn't matter when you have the Prince all to yourself." Kat looked Kim up and down and let out an unimpressed chuckle before walking out of the alley. Kim leaned back against the wall as if being pushed back by the weight of Kat's words. She was happy. She was loved by Tommy and she loved him back. But all the happiness in the world couldn't make her forget about her family…could it? Her father and Gabriella were still locked up in that horrible dungeon and what about Keira? The sudden laughter of children caught Kim's attention immediately. She watched the small group of children run playfully past the alley and felt her chest tighten when the last child ran by; none of them being her sister. Tears instantly fell from her eyes. She _had _forgotten about them.

Tommy had just finished saddling his horse when the Knight from before ran into the stable.

"Sire. The rogues are gone. The watch patrol said that they were roaming the fields but left shortly after I found you."

"That's good to hear but I don't want us to let our guard down. They don't just leisurely go for walks. Notify the night guards to be on high alert tonight." The Knight once again left and did as he was ordered. Tommy let out a sigh and started to take the saddle off his horse. _She should be back at the castle by now._ Tommy thought as he walked out of the stables. It was a shame that their day together had been cut short but he was happy she was safe in the castle. The chances the rogues would return were high which meant Tommy would need to be ready for anything. He knew that Kim wouldn't be too thrilled with the idea of staying inside his chambers all day but it was for the best. He made his way back to the alleyway he had used earlier. Maybe picking up some flowers for her would help make breaking the news of staying inside a little easier. Tommy's pace quickened when he heard the faint sound of someone crying. His heart almost stopped when he found Kim crouched over and crying right where he had left her.

"Kim! What's wrong? What happened?" He asked worriedly as he rushed to her side. It took a few minutes for her to calm down enough to actually speak.

"My family. I've forgotten them." She said between sobs. The all too familiar feeling of guilt washed over Tommy. In all honesty he had forgotten about them too. The only person that mattered to him was Kim. "Please Tommy. I need to see them." Kim looked up at him pleadingly. It was the first time in a long while that he was not able to look her in the eyes. There was nothing he could do for her. Seeing her family would only put them in more danger and most likely make her more upset.

"I…I can't do that for you. I'm sorry." Tommy pulled her to him wishing there was something more he could do for her. Kat covered her mouth to stop herself from letting out the laughter that was building up inside. She had stayed near the entrance of the alley after leaving Kim hoping to hear her break down. A satisfied smile had formed on her face when she heard Kim's quiet sobs. But hearing Tommy say he couldn't give her what she wanted just made her day.

"What about Keira?" Kim asked suddenly. "You said she was still in Anteros, right?"

"Yes. She's here but I don't know where. I haven't seen her since the attack."

"Please. I need to see my sister." Tommy let out a heavy sigh. It was a bad idea. Things would only get worse if he allowed the two to meet. He knew this. Despite knowing the severe consequences that would most likely occur if they were found out Tommy couldn't stop himself from agreeing to do as she wished.

"Ok. I'll find her." Tommy helped Kim to her feet and walked her back to the castle. It would take a lot of planning and luck to pull this task off. Kat leaned against the entrance of the alley in shock. The slave had a sister and Tommy knew about it yet didn't lock her away in the dungeon with the rest of the traitors? How could he betray his Kingdom? The shock slowly faded from Kat's mind and turned to hate. It was _her _fault. She must have been the one to manipulate Tommy into committing such crimes. Kat knew that if word of this reached the King then Tommy would more than likely receive a harsh punishment. That was something she did not want. There had to be someone who could help her use this information to tear Tommy away from Kim….but who?

* * *

><p>AN: There always has to be someone to rain on other people's happiness, am I right? Of course, if it's my story it's always gonna be Kat. I'm such a hater I know lol. Anyone wanna take a guess at who Kat might seek out for help? To me it's pretty obvious which sucks but hey I'd be thoroughly surprised if I managed to pull one over on anyone XD. Hope nobody was offended by the maturity of this chapter. I did give a fair and **BOLD** warning at the beginning so no complaining allowed.

A/N x2: Ooooh look at that a second author's note lol. Really this one is to apologize and also to explain a few things that are going on right now. So first, I'M SO SORRY for leaving yall hanging like that for so long. Like I said in my last update, graduation kept me busy. But it's over now! It was a beautiful ceremony but I am terrible with farewells especially when it comes to my students. So the teachers and parents got a good laugh at me and the kiddos as we hugged and cried together. Damnit, I'm getting teary eyed thinking about it again. T.T  
>So now that that's over what could possibly keep me from posting the next chapter? Quite a bit actually. For the next two weeks I will have little to no time for myself.<br>1. This week marks the beginning of the entrance exams. Since I am the only person here fluent in English, I am given the honor of marking the tests...well the English section of the test.  
>2. I am a member of two yosakoi teams (Japanese dance of full out energy! look it up). One team has a performance at the end of this month, the other team is gearing up for the big competition in June. So what does that mean? Three practices this week, one being 4 hours long. orz I'm gonna die.<br>Ok so that explains this week, how about next week? Well, I'm glad you asked.  
>3. You see my friends, my weekend was destroyed by an evil visitor I'd like to call "Evil tooth that claims to bring me wisdom but doesn't." Yup, my wisdom tooth has decided it's had enough of being ignored. Sunday, I was a mess, crying and begging for sleep because when I'm asleep, my whole mouth doesn't hurt. Yesterday, I went to the dentist (which is saying a lot since I hate any and all doctors). Good news is that sucker is coming out...bad news is I have to wait till next Monday. So for the rest of this week I have to deal with the pain of my impacted evil tooth wreaking havoc in my mouth. They did give me some meds but to be quite honest Japanese medicines just aren't that strong. If someone could send me some awesome American painkillers I'd love them forever.<br>4. Last but not least, I will have a friend from the States coming to visit me during her spring break. I say her spring break because we don't have one here. So next week I will be doing my best to entertain her and work at the same time.  
>I will do my absolute best to find any bit of time during this two week stretch of hell to work on updating. But please try to understand if I don't. Thank you all again for reviewing and letting me know what you all think of the story. It really does make my day when I get a review. XD Take care my friends and I hope to talk to you all soon.<br>~Lina


	13. 12: Blackmail and Betrayal

Chapter 12: Blackmail and Betrayal

The walk back to the castle was a long and quiet one. Tommy had many scenarios playing in his mind, most having to do with being found out. It was going to take a lot of planning to get the two to meet in secrecy but the first thing he had to do was find the child. He wasn't lying when he told Kim that he had no idea where she was. He hadn't seen her or her family since the night of the attack. Kimberly knew it wasn't going to be an easy task to meet with her sister but she appreciated the fact that Tommy was willing to try and make it happen.

"I'm going to have to be on patrol the rest of the day thanks to the rogues. I'll look for her while I'm patrolling." Tommy said, already exhausted with thinking of the task at hand. He turned to leave but stopped when he felt Kim's hand gently holding his.

"Thank you." Kim said sincerely. Tommy smiled and pulled her to him. Determination filled him as he held her in his arms. He loved this woman and was going to do anything he could for her.

"Anytime." He placed a small kiss on her forehead and gently pushed her back into the room. "I'll be back." He closed the door and rested his head against it. The cool wood felt good against his forehead. Tommy closed his eyes and said a silent prayer hoping God would be on his side and allow him to accomplish this dangerous task for Kim.

Kat watched as Tommy walked out of the castle and began his "patrol" of the Kingdom. After some thinking she had come to the realization that the one person that would help her was inside the castle. Slowly she made her way to the Knight's chambers stopping at the door that led to the person that would help her solve this problem. Nicholas opened the door and gave her an uninterested look.

"I'm not really in the mood at the moment Kat." Nicholas said as he started to close the door. He hadn't been in the mood to deal with anyone since his last meet up with the Prince had left him in the infirmary for several weeks.

"I need your help." Nicholas opened the door and pulled Kat into his room.

"And what exactly will I get as a reward for helping you?" Nicholas said as his eyes wandered over busty form. She knew exactly what he was expecting for a reward but she had something better in mind.

"The thing you have been craving most…The Prince's little slave." The jaded Knight couldn't help but laugh and roll his eyes at her offer.

"And how are we going to pull that off? I'm not about to land myself in the infirmary again."

"You won't go back to the infirmary. I have information that will have her coming to you willingly." Nicholas was now interested in what she had to say. Having the little wench come to him of her own "free" will would be a devastating blow to that arrogant Prince's pride.

"I'm listening."

Tommy returned to his chambers tired and disappointed. He had not found any signs of Keira and her family but then again he hadn't been given much time to look. Half the day had already gone by the time he set out on his search. The room was quiet and dark. For a moment his heart raced. There was always a hidden fear inside of him that something had happened to Kim. His worries vanished when he opened the door to his bedroom and found her sleeping peacefully on his bed. He let out a sigh of relief and crawled into bed next to her. He hadn't bothered to disrobe. All he wanted was to feel her next to him. Her petite form fit so perfectly against his. All of the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind throughout the day disappeared as sleep overtook him. Nicholas and Kat watched Tommy's every move the second he returned to the castle. Both knew that proceeding with their plan would have to wait until he left the next morning.

Tommy was the first to wake the next morning. He wanted to get an early start on his search for Keira. Kim felt his movements and clung onto him not allowing him to get off the bed. Tommy couldn't help but laugh at her behavior.

"As much as I want to stay in bed with you I need to get going." He said quietly and placed a small kiss on her lips. Kim smiled at the feel of his warm lips on hers and kissed back.

"Just a little longer." She begged as she held onto him a little tighter.

"You are more than welcome to stay snuggled up in the bed all day. I, however, have a promise to keep. I will find her today." Tommy was determined. He was not going to come back until he found the girl and her family. Kim reluctantly loosened her hold on him.

"I need you to stay here today. If you want to get out for a bit have Adam take you to visit Sophie or out to the gardens. I don't want you wandering around Anteros with him."

"Jealous?" Kim asked playfully. She knew he wanted her away from his search just in case the two were to overreact upon their meeting.

"Of course I am. You're lucky I let you hang out with him." Tommy said jokingly. He kissed her one last time before changing and heading out the door.

Kat was on Tommy's tail from the moment he stepped out of the castle. Her part of the plan was to find out who this girl was, what she looked like, where she lived and if necessary, stall Tommy from coming back to the castle early. Nicholas, however, took his time before he made his way to the all too familiar chambers that Kim was residing in. Kimberly was surprised by the knock at the door. Excitement filled her entire body. Tommy must have found Keira. She ran to the door and pulled it open. Kim immediately wished she hadn't done so. Nicholas stood across from her, same arrogant smirk plastered on his face as before.

"Good morning Princess." Nicholas said grabbing the door so that she could not slam it on him. Visions of his forceful attack had flooded her mind the moment she set eyes upon his form. "Relax. I've only come to talk." He said nonchalantly as he pushed past her and made himself comfortable on the couch. He waited a few moments before turning back to look at the frightened girl standing by the door.

"Would you feel more comfortable with a weapon?" Nicholas asked hoping to get some sort of response from the girl. He rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated groan when she failed to answer. Kim was surprised to see him place his sword on the table that separated the two couches.

"This is a very private matter I need to discuss with you. But if you are fine with having wandering ears find out about your missing family member then that's up to you." Nicholas said loudly trying to make his point clear. Kim's heart stopped for a brief second. He knew. Slowly, she closed the door and made her way to the opposite couch. She grabbed the sword and held it firmly. She would protect herself if he so chose to attack her again.

"We have nothing to discuss." Kim said defiantly.

"Oh but we do Princess. You see, I know everything." Nicholas said in a cocky manner. "I know about your younger sister whom happens to be running around free in Anteros instead of rotting in the dungeon with your disgraceful father and the Prince's whore of a mother. I'm also aware of the fact that he has known of her existence and has done nothing to capture her and put her where she belongs."

"So what now?" Kim had a good idea of where this one sided discussion was heading and she didn't like it.

"So now I will give you two choices. Choice one, you tell your beloved Prince about our meeting and I tell the King about your sibling. Now that can end with your lovely little sister as a prisoner in the dungeon or as a slave to a lonely Knight." Nicholas smiled an evil smile and Kim knew exactly what he was implying. "Choice two, you come to me and become mine willingly. If your Prince tries to stop you or me for that matter you'll need to clear the situation up and let him know you want me." Kim glared at the man who sat proudly across from her. He knew his plan was fail proof. She looked down at the sword in her hands. Kim would never let any harm come to her sister. She had sacrificed her freedom and life for her, she wasn't about to stop now.

"And what if I choose to kill you instead?" Kim said seriously pointing the sword at the man who had so blindly given a weapon to a woman who knew how to use it. Nicholas wasn't troubled at all by her threat. In fact, it took a great deal of restraint on his part to stop himself from laughing in her face.

"Go ahead."

"You think I won't do it?" Kim asked getting a bit offended by his unconcerned attitude.

"I **know **you won't do it. Think about it Princess. If someone finds a dead Knight in the Prince's chambers who do you think will be punished? I highly doubt you're little lover will let you take the fall for it." He saw the realization cross her mind and pushed himself up off the couch. "I'll give you some time to think everything over. If you are not at my door tonight then I guarantee by tomorrow you're little sister will be hunted down like an animal." He walked to her side and trailed his fingers down her arm to her hands that still had a death grip on his sword. He carefully pried her fingers off of the hilt and placed it back in its sheath before leaving her alone in the room. It didn't take Kim long to decided what she was going to do. However, it did take her a bit of time to decide how she was going to do it. How was she going to leave? Several ideas crossed her mind. Leave a note, get into a fight, just tell him…Nothing was going to work. The sun was beginning to set. Time seemed to have gone by quickly that day. She gathered herself and took one last look around the room before walking out.

Adam wandered the corridors of the castle. He had finished his rounds early that day and decided it would be a lovely day to wander around like he had when he was a child. Too bad his cousin was nowhere in sight to join him in his walk down memory lane. _Probably too "busy" with Kim._ Adam thought to himself cynically. He wasn't bitter about the relationship between the two. It was quite the contrary. He was happy the two finally found love he just wished it was on better terms. If only they had figured out their love for each other before all of this nonsense happened. Adam was pulled from his "if only" thoughts when he noticed a female figure walking down the hall that led to the Knight's chambers. It wasn't rare to see women making their way down the hallway but something was off about this one. She was walking alone. Most of the time the women visiting this area of the castle had a Knight accompanying them. Adam watched silently as the woman stopped at an all too familiar door. His eyes grew in horror when the woman turned to knock on the door.

"Kim?" Her name came out as a whisper from Adam's lips. What was she doing? Why was she at _his_ door? He sprinted down the hallway to stop her before she could knock again. Kim was surprised by the hand that forcefully grabbed hers. She wasn't expecting anyone to find her so quickly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Adam asked as quietly as he could. If anyone else were to find her down there alone the situation could go from bad to worse. Though he highly doubt that any of the other Knights were stupid enough to lay a finger on her. Kimberly remained quiet. She had no idea what to say to him. Adam wasn't one for being aggressive but her refusal to answer him and the mere thought that she had come to this place on her own pushed one too many of his buttons.

"Come on. We're leaving." He said angrily as he nearly dragged her uncooperative form behind him. The sound of the door opening, however, stopped him in his tracks. He pushed Kimberly behind him as Nicholas stepped outside.

"What is it you want?" Nicholas was rather frustrated. He had assumed that Kim would be standing in front of his door and not the doctor that did nothing to ease his pain when he was injured.

"Nothing. I had the wrong r…" Adam wasn't given the chance to finish his lie as Kimberly stepped out from behind him and slowly walked towards Nicholas. His hand immediately darted out to grab her but she moved her arms away from his reach. Adam was beyond confused. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Nothing that you should be concerned with." Nicholas said with a satisfied smirk as he pulled Kim against him. "Right, Princess?" Kimberly shook her head but remained silent. She feared the truth would come spilling out of her mouth if she decided to try and say anything. "She's decided that she wants a real man that will treat her the way she should be treated. A man that will cater to her every need and not leave her alone in a room all day. So she came to me."

"Bullshit." Adam said angrily wishing he had his sword on him so he could force the truth out of him.

"Oh? Don't believe me?" Nicholas turned to Kim, lifted her chin, and brought his lips down onto hers. Kim did her best to hold in all of the hate she had for the man. She had to make this convincing. Adam stood in shock as he watched the two making out in front of him. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he would have never believed it. Nicholas pulled away from her now swollen lips and turned to give Adam a cocky look. He gave Kim a slight nudge into the room and was ready to follow her inside when an unexpected hand grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on here but you can be certain that I will NOT stop Tommy from killing you this time around." Adam threatened before pushing the Knight away from him and running off to find his cousin. Time was precious. Adam knew Nicholas wouldn't waste time in taking what he wanted from Kim. He had to find Tommy as quickly as he could. _Think damnit!_ Adam thought to himself as he ran down the halls of the castle towards the entrance. Checking Tommy's chambers would be a waste of time. He knew there was no way in hell he would stay in his room and allow Kimberly to wander the castle alone. He had to be on patrol. That was the only answer. _Please God, let me find him quickly._ Adam prayed as he ran into the hustle and bustle of Anteros.

Kim held back the tears that had formed in her eyes when she heard the door shut behind her. Tommy wouldn't be able to help her this time. She had to do this to protect her sister. Her skin crawled when she felt Nicholas run his fingers up her arms.

"Well Princess. Shall we get started?" He whispered into her ear while smiling an evil smile.

It had taken almost two full days but Tommy had finally found the family he was looking for. They had moved to an area of Anteros that was away from the busy streets and away from prying eyes. Once inside, Tommy explained the entire situation to the family.

"Kimberly really wants to see Keira and I believe I can arrange it safely. I'll come back after discussing the details with her." Tommy said as he walked out of house. The family tearfully thanked Tommy as he left. He sighed a heavy sigh as the door closed behind him. _Now the hard part._ Tommy thought as he made his way back to the slowly ebbing hustle and bustle of the more populated part of Anteros. Thoughts of how happy Kim would be to hear he had found Keira allowed his worries of arranging the meet up to fade. His moment of ease was short-lived as he noticed Adam pushing his way through the crowd. Adam had not stopped running and was completely out of breath by the time he reached Tommy.

"Adam? What the hell is going on? What's wrong?" Tommy had never seen his cousin in such a state before.

"Nicholas has Kim. She's with him in _his _chambers." Tommy was gone in a flash despite the confusion he felt hearing that she was in his room. The timing couldn't have been worse for what Adam knew was about to go down. The halls were full of Knights who were changing shifts for the night watch.

"Tommy. I know you want to stop whatever is going on but I think you should get rid of the witnesses first. Order everyone to go to their chambers or something!"

"There's no time." Tommy said as he rushed down the hallway. He didn't care who saw but one thing was certain…Anteros would be one Knight short by the end of the day. Tommy's presence in the Knight's halls was generally unnoticed until he reached Nicholas' door and kicked it in. Every eye turned to the enraged Prince whom had now entered their comrade's chambers. Tommy froze in the doorway as he looked upon the scene before him. Kim lay under the a half naked Nicholas wearing only her undergarments. Tommy was slightly relieved that he hadn't walked in on Nicholas fully violating the woman he loved. Nicholas let out a frustrated sigh as he pushed himself away from his prize and looked back at the shocked Prince. He had been in the process of exploring her beautiful body with his hands and mouth before he was so rudely interrupted by the sudden invasion of his chambers.

"Do you mind? I'm a little busy right now your highness." Nicholas said unenthusiastically before turning back to Kim and capturing her lips with his. Tommy's eyes grew wide as he looked at the two. What in the hell was happening? Was he having a nightmare? Did Nicholas have a death wish? And why wasn't Kim resisting? Wait…Why was she kissing him back? The questions and confusion quickly left Tommy's mind. His eyes narrowed as he approached the two. Nightmare or not he wasn't going to let this continue any longer. Nicholas wasn't too surprised when he felt Tommy's strong grip on his shoulders pull him away from Kim and throw him to the ground. He was expecting a fight but this wasn't one he was going to lose. Especially if Kim truly wanted to save her sister. Tommy rushed to Kim's side and pulled a blanket over her mostly naked form. He reached out to reassuringly brush her cheek with the back of his hand but stopped short when she turned away from him. The small chuckle that came from Nicholas as he picked himself up off the floor caught Tommy off guard. He was expecting him to fight back not start laughing. It didn't matter to him though. The laughing would stop as soon as he began the beating. He started to make his way towards the crazy Knight but stopped when he felt a small hand grab his. Tommy looked down at Kim who still had yet to face him.

"Don't." Her voice shook as she made her request.

"What?" Tommy wasn't expecting her to tell him to stop. "What the hell is going on here Kim?"

"I want to be here. I-I choose Nicholas." Kim said as she finally turned to face him. The shakiness in her voice and the tears threatening to fall from her eyes gave away how she truly felt. She just couldn't do it. She couldn't lie to him. Tommy looked back to Nicholas. Same arrogant smirk.

"Bullshit." Tommy said angrily as he grabbed Kim by the wrist and pulled her behind him. His fight with Nicholas was far from over but he was getting Kim out of this room and he was going to get the truth out of her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Nicholas asked as he blocked Tommy from proceeding out the door. "You heard her. She chose **me**. She wants to be **with me**."

"If you wish to keep your life then I suggest you back away now." Tommy said in a serious tone. Nicholas didn't move an inch. He was not going to back down. Not when he was so close to having Kim all for himself.

"Look Tommy. I know your secret." Nicholas said in a malicious whisper. "I know what you've been hiding from your father. If you walk out of this room with her I will reveal your secret. Just hand your whore over to me and nobody will ever know about this." Tommy couldn't hide the disgust on his face. Nicholas was blackmailing them. Tommy had held his anger in long enough but finding out that Nicholas had the audacity to attempt to blackmail him was enough to send him over the edge. The victorious arrogant smirk disappeared from the Knight's face when Tommy's fist came crashing onto it. It was only one punch but it was enough to break his nose a second time. Nicholas stumbled backwards, out of his room and stopped against the opposite wall. Blood gushed out of his broken nose as Tommy lifted him off his feet and held him against the wall. If it had been up to him, he would have killed him right then and there regardless of who was watching. The onlookers could see the rage in their Prince's eyes and knew if they did not interject that this would get very ugly. Adam and a few other Knights rushed to pull Tommy away from Nicholas while a handful of other Knights held Nicholas back. The last thing they needed was for him to retaliate and somehow make matters worse.

"Wrong move Prince." Nicholas spat as he pushed away the hands that were holding him back. He did his best to ignore the pain from his nose and walked in the direction of the throne room. The Knights remained silent as they looked from Nicholas' retreating form to the still fuming Prince. None of them knew what to think. They all expected Nicholas to receive a beating for touching the slave that belonged to the Prince but the look on Tommy's face showed them that he was going to do more than just beat the Knight. What did this slave mean to him? Adam could see the question playing on everyone's mind as they all looked at their Prince. Tommy ignored the looks and freed himself of the hands that held him. He stormed back into the room to retrieve Kim whom only had a blanket to cover herself. Nothing was said as he literally dragged her back to his chambers. He pushed her into his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Tommy yelled.

"Me? What about you?" Kim yelled back.

"What?"

"He knows Tommy! He's going to tell your father about Keira! All you had to do was leave me there and she would be safe."

"Are you crazy? Do you know what he planned on doing to you?"

"I don't care!" Kim yelled letting out all of her frustration. Tommy could only stare as she stood glaring at him. The two stared each other down, both breathing heavily after their heated exchange of words. After a few moments of tense silence Kim spoke again. "I will do **anything** to protect her Tommy. Why can't you understand that?"

"Why can't you understand that I will do anything to protect **you**! You should have come to me for help."

"And what would you have done? Kill him?"

"Yes." Tommy said quickly. It was his lack of hesitation that worried her. She knew he would kill him in a heartbeat but the consequences would have more than likely been the same for him. An eye for an eye. Tommy knew she was worried. Hell, he was too but he wasn't going to show it in front of her. He slowly closed the distance between them and pulled her bruised wrists up to his lips.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He said as he kissed the wrists that he had been roughly pulling.

"Just have some faith in me and we'll get through this." He promised as he wrapped her in a strong and comforting embrace. Kim's tough exterior shattered when he wrapped his warm arms around her. The tears that she had held back poured from her eyes as she desperately held onto him. Tommy placed his chin on her head and held her crying form. He had to think of some way to save them from this new predicament.

Kat had followed Tommy to the Knights' chambers and watched the entire scene play out. Nicholas had failed. She chased after him as he stormed to the throne room.

"Go away wench. I have no time for you." Nicholas said angrily.

"Stop for a second we need to talk and for the love of God let me fix your nose." Nicholas stopped when he heard her plea. Although he wanted to get to the King as soon as possible, his nose requested his immediate attention. He turned to the busty blonde and waited for her to heal his wounds. Kat grimaced when she looked at his bruised and crooked nose and the black eyes that were forming as he stood. She placed one hand on his shoulder and used her other hand to grab and set his nose back in place.

"What the fuck!" Nicholas yelled and pushed Kat away as a new wave of pain rushed across his face.

"Well I had to set it!" She said defensively as she handed him a handkerchief. Nicholas grabbed it from her outstretched hand and used it to wipe the old and new blood from his face.

"Please, don't tell the King." Kat said suddenly. Nicholas looked her over with a disgusted face. She didn't even have the courage to look at him when she made the request. It was her fault he was in this state yet all she cared about was that damned man.

"Trying to protect your beloved Prince?" Kat remained silent. She knew that if Nicholas told the King about the child that Tommy would more than likely be punished.

"I'm telling the King. Nothing is going to stop me. Not you and not any of your ridiculous schemes. It's time for that bastard Prince to get what's coming to him." Nicholas said disdainfully before tossing the blood-stained handkerchief back at Kat. He turned away from her and continued his journey to the throne room.

Nicholas' unexpected intrusion into the throne room instantly brought worry to King Thomas. Instant fears of an attack from the rogues came to mind as he looked over the beaten Knight.

"Spyro, what has happened?" Nicholas knelt down before his King and informed him of the bad news.

"Sire, the young Prince has betrayed you." he said feigning sadness. King Thomas did his best not to roll his eyes at the Knight. He knew of the rocky relationship between his son and the Knight and could only assume the two got into yet another scuffle.

"What is it this time?" King Thomas said with a heavy sigh as he sat back on his throne.

"The young Prince attacked me when I learned of a secret that he's been keeping from you."

"Out with it Spyro. What secret?" King Thomas knew his son wasn't one to keep secrets from him. He was the one that told him of the betrayal his mother committed. He trusted his son more than anyone else in the Kingdom. Doubt, however, crept into his mind as he thought about the people he had previously trusted. His Queen and his best friend, King Kenneth, had been among the people he trusted before. They had betrayed him and lied to his face. Tommy was his son but he was also the son of that damn woman. Could he…would he betray also him?

Tommy sat patiently on the couch. Kim had calmed down a bit and was resting in his bed. The knock on the door was one that he had been expecting. If Nicholas had gone directly to his father with the news he knew that he would be called down to explain the matter. The only question that weighed on his mind was whether or not he wanted to lie to his father. Tommy opened his door to the Knight that was sent to fetch him.

"Sire, your father has requested that you join him in the throne room immediately." The Knight said sternly. Tommy nodded and joined him in the hallway.

"I do not need an escort to the throne room." Tommy said seriously as he closed his door. "You will stay and guard my chambers. Nobody is to come in or out. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sire." The Knight said and took his position outside the door as Tommy walked away.

"Sire, I fear that the young Prince will follow in his mother's footsteps and continue his betrayal. He is too involved with this slave of his. He will more than likely continue lying to you." Nicholas said as he stood by the King's side.

"We will see." The King said solemnly. He didn't want to believe…no, he couldn't believe his son would ever betray him. All eyes turned to the Prince as he entered the throne room. Nicholas did his best not to smile as he stood next to the King. There was no way that he would be able to talk himself out of this mess. Tommy knelt in front of his father and awaited the oncoming storm.

"Tommy. There have been some wild rumors about you going on recently. What do you have to say to this?"

"If this is in regards to Nicholas then they are true. He's been warned in the past to keep away from my slave yet he refuses to do so. It's a shame such a talented Knight lacks the ability to understand such a simple rule."

"Those are not the rumors I wish to discuss. I hear that there is a secret you've been keeping from me. Is this true?" There was a slight pause before Tommy answered his father.

"Yes." There was no use denying it. The truth was out in the open and lying about it would only make everything worse.

"So, it's true you knew of this child."

"I learned of her existence the day I came home and joined you in your planning to destroy Danae. She was the reason I agreed to help you." Tommy admitted regrettably. It was stupid to let his emotions drive his decision to help his father.

"And yet you let her roam free about Anteros? That child is the embodiment of the betrayal your mother committed! How could you let this happen Tommy?" The King's voice rose as he spoke. He jut couldn't believe his son would allow this to happen. Tommy remained silent. He knew his father was right. After everything that they fought for he let this child get away. But that was just it. She was a child. She didn't ask for any of this. She had been thrown into it. His father took a few calming breaths before continuing. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know." He lied. King Thomas wanted to believe in his son but he had already kept so much from him. He looked to the battered Knight standing to the side and tried not to let the fake concern and shake of his head trouble him. Could he really not trust his son anymore? He had kept the child's existence a secret from him from the beginning. Who knew how many more lies and secrets he had kept from him.

"Anymore secrets?"

"No father." Tommy said looking him straight in the eye. He had to get his father to believe him. The King sadly looked over the man kneeling before him. He had once believed that this boy was the only one he could trust. He used to believe that he would be the one to take over once he passed on. But now, all he could see was a stranger. A man that lied and a man he could no longer believe in. King Thomas excused his son and waited for him to leave before turning to Nicholas.

"Find the child." King Thomas said maliciously.

"Yes sire." Nicholas said with an evil smirk.

* * *

><p>AN: God I hate Nicholas! That is all.

A/N part deux: No, that is not all! lol Hello again fellow readers. Looks like I couldn't pull one over on any of yall. You all knew that Kat would go to Nicholas for help. Ahhh well. I hope you all like this update. Sorry it's been so long but yeah I've been swamped. I still sort of am but hopefully by next week I'll be able to work on the final chapters of this story. Spring vacation (which is fun to say since it's not quite spring yet...it's still snowing like crazy! Also it's the very small break for the kiddos before they start their new school year) starts next week so I'll have a week to get this thing finished.  
>So, anyone remember the last update when I said my wisdom tooth was going to be taken out...yeah...about that...the dentist couldn't take it out because my face swelled up. Yeah...also they got a better look at it with a full xray and decided they needed a specialist to come and take it out. orz<br>So I still have my evil wisdom tooth but the meds I was given have taken care of the swelling and pain. I'm praying that nothing happens between now and the 30th so I can finally get the damned thing taken out. Pray for me guys. I REALLY need this thing out. T.T


	14. 13: Catch and Release

Chapter 13: Catch and Release

Tommy stood outside the door to the throne room, thankful for the wall that was helping him stay on his feet. The look in his father's eyes was burned into his memory. He hadn't seen that look on his father's face in many years. It was the same look he had when he was informed of the affair between his Queen and his best friend. A small shiver ran down Tommy's spine as he came to the realization that his father knew everything. He knew. He had seen through the lie. That was why he was looking at him that way. Keira was in great danger. He had to warn her family and get them out of Anteros right away. Tommy pushed himself off the wall and started to make his way back to his chambers. He stopped however when he heard the door open behind him. Nicholas, although broken and blood stained, still managed to look as cocky as ever. Of course it helped that he had a group of Knights accompanying him. Tommy held back the urge to pull out his sword and run it through the evil Knight.

"Ahh, Prince Tommy. So happy to see that you're still here. I've been given orders to retrieve the child. You know you'd probably be back in your father's good graces if you'd just tell me where she is." Nicholas said as he and a group of Knights stared down the Prince.

"I've already told you. I have no idea where she is." Tommy said shortly before making his leave. Nicholas smiled and motioned for one of the Knights to follow the Prince. "I do not need an escort." Tommy said rudely to the man that followed.

"Sorry Sire. The King has given Nicholas the authority to lead us now. We must do as he says."

"And why does he want you to follow me?"

"He believes you will lead us to the child." _Damn!_ Tommy thought bitterly. That bastard had figured him out. The plan had not changed in Tommy's mind though. He still needed to find a way to get Keira and her family out of the Kingdom quickly. Time was of the utmost importance. Even if he wasn't the one to personally lead them to Keira, he was sure they would eventually find her. There had to be a way.

Nicholas sneered as the Prince walked away. _He's not stupid. He won't lead us to the girl. _He thought angrily. This was his chance to take the spotlight. He had already convinced the King that his son was untrustworthy. If he could retrieve the child then he knew the King would trust him wholeheartedly. He could become first Knight. The King's right hand man. And then he could show that spoiled Prince where his place was. Nicholas smiled an evil smile as he thought of the power he could hold over the Prince and the rest of the Kingdom if he could accomplish this task for the King. There had to be a way to do this without relying on the Prince.

It had taken Adam a bit of time to convince the Knights to ignore what had occurred between the Prince and the Knight. The Knights were reluctant to let it slide at first but after Adam gave several examples of the many fallouts between Tommy and Nicholas he had them convinced it was just another story to add to their rocky relationship. The two had never gotten along particularly well before Kimberly had come. She had just become fuel for the fire. They all knew Nicholas didn't like the fact that he had to follow the Prince's commands. He was younger than Nicholas and therefore not worthy of being considered a superior he had to bow down to. The Knights agreed that it was basically a cock fight with those two and let it be. Adam let out a small sigh of relief as the Knights all left him alone. His lie would suffice for now but if Nicholas had in fact spilled the beans about Keira then it wouldn't be long before Tommy's loyalty was in question again. It had been an extremely long day. He was physically and mentally exhausted. He tried not to think about how his stress level was bound to intensify three fold in the coming days as he made his way back to his chambers. Oddly enough in his exhausted daze he found himself nearing Tommy's chambers instead. The Knight standing guard at the door gave Adam a stern once over as he neared the door.

"What's going on? Why are you guarding the door?" Adam asked trying not to let the worry show in his voice.

"Prince Tommy has ordered me to guard this door until he returns from his visit with the King." Adam's eyes grew as he realized what the Knight's words implied. The King knew and Tommy was now with him. _Shit!_ Adam thought as he quickly turned away from the serious Knight and hastily made his way to the throne room.

Tommy wasn't expecting to literally bump into his cousin as he walked back to his chambers. He had been lost in his thoughts trying to think of any way he could save Keira but nothing was coming to mind. Nothing, that is, until he ran into his cousin. Adam started to question Tommy about what was happening but stopped himself when he noticed the Knight that was accompanying him. _Was he being escorted? _Adam wondered as he looked over the Knight.

"I need you to check on my slave. I want to make sure that careless Knight didn't injure her." Tommy said sternly pulling Adam out of his thoughts. Adam looked at Tommy who had a very resolute look on his face. He had a plan. Adam kept a serious look despite how badly he wanted to smile. The trio walked back to Tommy's chambers in silence. Tommy thanked and excused the Knight at his door and entered his chambers followed by his cousin and his escort.

"This is a bit extreme don't you think?" Tommy asked, annoyance very clear in his voice.

"Sorry Sire but I was ordered to…"

"Will you also be bathing with me and sleeping beside me?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

"Um…no Sire…"The Knight stuttered not sure exactly what to say.

"I will allow you to stand guard outside my door and have another Knight stand guard outside my window since I am so untrustworthy but I will not have you stay in my chambers." Tommy said firmly. "I am still your Prince and I will only tolerate so much disrespect."

"I'm not trying to disrespect you Sire." The Knight said apologetically as he made his way for the door. Once the Knight was outside Tommy motioned for Adam to follow him to his room.

"My father knows about Keira." Tommy whispered to Adam. Kim was still sound asleep and he wanted her to stay that way. He would tell her about everything when she woke. "Nicholas convinced him to allow the Knights to follow me hoping that I would lead them to her."

"Come on, they can't think you're that stupid."

"Apparently they do. I need to get Keira and her family out of Anteros now. I won't be able to do it though. I need your help."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Tomorrow you will visit Keira's home and tell them what is going on."

"Are you crazy? What if I'm followed?"

"They have no reason to follow you. You are the Kingdom's doctor. If you are questioned just tell them you are making your daily rounds." Tommy could see the apprehension on Adam's face. It wasn't the best plan but it was all they had and it needed to be done. "Go to their home and tell them to have Keira pretend to be sick so that they can go to you in the infirmary. 'Treat' them for a few hours and then sneak the family out to the gardens. I'll have some horses waiting for them there."

"Where do you want me to tell them to go?" Adam asked after thinking it over.

"Anywhere **you **want to go." Tommy said sadly as he looked away from his cousin.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked knowing where this conversation was going.

"I need you to go with them." Tommy said finally turning to look him in the eye. "You'll be in danger if you stay. Eventually they are going to figure out that the family that came to you for help was the one they were looking for." Adam was speechless. He didn't know what to say or think anymore. He knew that the relationship between Tommy and Kim was going to be troublesome but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that it would lead up to this. Tommy was telling him to leave. No, he couldn't leave. If he did, all hell would break loose in Anteros and Tommy would be the one that would suffer the consequences.

"But…I can lie…or someth…" Adam tried his best to come up with some sort of excuse.

"You're the only one I trust to keep them safe." Adam was again left speechless as he saw the tears forming in his cousin's eyes as he looked up at the ceiling. This was goodbye. The two had been together for so long they were practically brothers. They had been through good and bad times together and had always had each other's back. But now it was over. The two sat in silence for a few minutes reflecting on their past. Adam broke the silence when a small fit of laughter escaped his lips. Tommy was confused at first but soon joined in laughing along with his cousin. After the laughing fit passed, the two reminisced sharing stories of the past. Once everything was all said and done the two stood and left the room. Tommy pulled Adam into a very strong hug before he could reach the door.

"I'm sorry." Tommy said sadly. _For not listening to you…for always doing the wrong thing…for asking you to clean up after all of my mistakes_...Tommy thought bitterly.

"Me too." Adam said as he held his cousin tightly. _For not being a good enough person to help you…_The two let each other go slowly and wiped the tears from their eyes.

"I'll see you around." Tommy said with a sad smile.

"Yeah. See you." Adam said sadly to Tommy before heading out the door. He gave the Knight standing guard a stern look and left without turning back. They had said their goodbyes. If he turned back now he wouldn't be able to go through with it. Tommy closed the door and let his forehead rest against it. Silent tears fell from his eyes as he stood there.

Kim lay awake in the bed. She had heard everything that the two had discussed but felt it wasn't her place to interrupt the bittersweet moment they were sharing. They were parting and risking their lives for her and her sister's sake. She pushed herself off the bed when she heard the door close. The sight of Tommy's saddened form standing at the door broke her heart. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him praying that she could calm him in some way. Tommy was surprised when he felt her two delicate arms wrap around his chest.

He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He had to be strong for her. The two walked back to the bedroom in silence. They lay wrapped in each other's arms seeking comfort that they desperately needed from the other.

Nicholas gathered the Knights he would use for the manhunt as soon as the sun rose. He was going to find this girl and he was going to find her today.

"Alright men. You're beloved Prince has kept a secret from you all. The daughter of our ex-Queen and that bastard King of Danae is living in Anteros. Your Prince knew this but allowed her to live among us. We will find her, capture her, and place her in the dungeon with the rest of her treacherous family. You will travel in groups of four to each house in Anteros and demand that proof of birth be given to you for every female child that is living in this Kingdom. If proof cannot be provided then apprehend the child and bring her to me."

"What if there is more than one child?" a Knight asked. He and a few other Knights were a bit uncertain of the plan. What if they had the wrong child? They would basically be committing the crime of kidnapping all because of a rumor.

"There won't be." Nicholas said sternly before sending the reluctant Knights out into Anteros.

Tommy cursed the sun under his breath as it streamed through the slight opening in his curtain. He had wished he would never wake up. If the day never came then he wouldn't have to really say goodbye to Adam…He wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of his wrong doings…He wouldn't have to worry. A small sigh escaped Kim's sleeping form and pulled Tommy from his worrisome thoughts. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and covered her with the blankets before starting his morning routine. Much work had to be done and there wasn't much time to do it. Tommy left his chambers with his guardian Knight close behind. He did his best to ignore the suspicious looks the other Knights gave him as he walked around the Kingdom. His exterior showed nothing but confidence and slight boredom as he went about exploring Anteros but inside his nerves were going crazy. His emotions were mixed in a whirlwind of anger and nerves. His anger was directed at the Knights that no longer trusted him as well as his escort. Who were they to judge him? Had he ever wronged them in the past? If anything they should be loyal to him, not Nicholas. The nervousness was all for the charade he was putting on. How long could he keep up this composed and indifferent attitude when his mind was completely filled with thoughts on Keira's well being? Sadness joined into the jumble of emotions when he caught sight of Adam beginning his rounds for the day. He wanted to call out to him but knew it would only make their parting that much harder. The two ignored each other as they crossed paths quite possibly for the last time. Tommy made his way to the stables and began his usual care for his horses. He prayed the Knight accompanying him would become bored enough to leave him but he knew his Knights would never abandon the post they were given.

"Haven't seen you out here in ages Prince Tommy." A familiar voice came out from the back of the stables.

"Hello Rocky. You're right it has been ages." Tommy said as he approached his former coach and sparring partner. Rocky had been the one to teach him everything he knew about fighting as well as how to care for his horses.

"May I ask why you have an escort?" Rocky said eyeing the Knight that stood at the door of the stables.

"Haven't you heard? I am no longer a trustworthy Prince in my own Kingdom." Tommy said with a sad chuckle.

"I find that somehow hard to believe." Rocky said as he began to make his way to the disrespectful Knight that had the audacity to treat the Prince in such a manner. Tommy placed a calm hand on Rocky's shoulder to stop him.

"It's quite alright. I have nothing to hide." Rocky sent one more glare to the Knight before turning back and attending to the horses. The two worked in silence as the Knight watched their every movement.

"You know Rocky. I have to say that these horses are looking rather slow." Tommy said breaking the long silence. Rocky looked over the horses not quite sure what the Prince meant. Honestly, they hadn't been used much in the past few months; there was no need for it. To him, the horses looked amazing.

"These poor things can't stay locked up in the stables forever. There is a fenced in field out behind our gardens. Why don't you let them roam free there for a few days?"

"Sire, what about the rogue warriors?"

"Don't worry about them. I'll have a Knight watch over them to make sure nothing happens."

"Fine by me Sire." Rocky said then turned to the Knight. "Oi! If you're going to follow the Prince around all day you can at least make yourself useful. Help us take these horses out to the field." The Knight wasn't too keen on being told what to do by someone ranked lower than him but he knew that he had to keep tabs on the Prince. He let out a small gruff and began helping the two take the horses.

Nicholas pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a frustrated sigh. He immediately regret this action as he remembered his nose that had been broken for a second time yesterday. _Curse that damned Prince!_ He thought angrily as he looked at the busy Knights questioning the confused and scared citizens of Anteros. They had questioned up to 15 families and still had nothing to show for it. There would be no end to this madness if he continued his search like this. It would take him forever to find the girl that is if she was still, in fact, in the kingdom. Nicholas let out a low growl as he thought of how the Prince would gloat his victory over him and the King would banish him from the Knighthood if he could not find the girl. No, there was no point thinking that way. The Prince would not be able to get the girl to safety so long as the Knight stays guard over him. Nicholas knew however that the Prince was a rather sly fellow. If he didn't find the girl today then the Prince would definitely find a way to get her out.

"Still nothing sir." One Knight reported to Nicholas as he finished questioning another family.

"Then keep looking!" Nicholas said raising his voice. Passerby's stared at the overly enraged Knight but kept their heads down when his glare was directed their way. Most of the passerby's were spared of the Knight's unruly rage. One unfortunate passerby wasn't so lucky. Nicholas was ready to turn back and focus on the task at hand but was distracted when the all too familiar blonde citizen ducked by. His eyes lit up when he realized he had just found the answer to his problems. Nicholas pushed by the other Knights and through the crowd of busy people to reach his goal. Kat prayed that he had not noticed her when she walked by. She did not want to see him. Not after he had told the King of Tommy's wrong doings. He didn't understand the situation Tommy was in. He was being fooled by that wretched woman. _She _was the one at fault. Not Tommy. Kat's prayers went unanswered as she soon found herself being dragged into a dark alleyway. Nicholas roughly pushed her back against the hard brick wall.

"Hello my dear." Nicholas said in a deep and husky voice. Kat shuddered as his hot breath brushed across her ear. If it had been under any other circumstances, she would have been turned on but there was something different in his voice and in his actions.

"H-hello Nicholas." Kat stuttered. She was frightened and there was no way she could hide it.

"It's so good to see you. I have a favor to ask of you." He said demanding more than asking.

"What can I do for you?" She asked nervously.

"I need you to tell me where the child is." Kat was quiet for a moment. She knew where the child was but if she told him Tommy would be in even more trouble. Nicholas wasn't too thrilled with her silence.

"Let me rephrase that since you obviously can't comprehend what I'm saying. Tell me where the child is, now!" Nicholas said more forcefully.

"No." Kat said determinedly. "I begged you not to tell the King and you did. So I will not tell you where she is. Tommy is in enough trouble because of yo…" Kat was cut off when she receive a very painful slap from the deranged man. She looked up at the Knight placing a careful hand on the stinging cheek that was hit. He had a very malicious smirk on his face as he towered over her cowering form.

"Who do you think you are?" Nicholas asked in a disgusted tone.

"You are a nobody. Just a common, run of the mill whore." He said placing his hands on her shoulders, slowly moving them to her neck.

"Nobody would miss you, my dear Kat." Nicholas wrapped his hands around Kat's neck, squeezing ever so slightly.

"Nobody would even notice you were gone. I could end you right now and nobody would care. Not me, not anyone else in this pathetic Kingdom, and not your beloved Prince." Kat's eyes grew wide as she realized what he intended to do to her. But it was too late. Nicholas' hold on her neck was tight enough to cut off her airflow. Kat desperately tried to pull his arms away but his grip was firm. Tears streamed down her face as she looked pleadingly into his heartless and unforgiving eyes. She looked to the end of the alleyway when she realized he wasn't going to let go. She begged in her mind for someone to come down and find her…someone to stop him…someone to save her. But alas, the darkness was more than enough to hide the pair from sight and the lack of air was making her voice basically non existent. Nicholas felt no remorse for the torture he was putting the woman through. If she was going to be of no help to him then she didn't need to be around any longer. Nicholas roughly tossed Kat to the ground when he felt her fighting starting to lessen. Kat fell quite hard on the floor considering she didn't have much strength left in her. She coughed and gasped for air on the ground. Her lungs burned but were thankful for having oxygen yet again. Nicholas knelt down beside the shaken girl and grabbed her chin forcing her to look up at him.

"If you want to continue to live your worthless life then you will tell me where the girl is right now!"

Adam walked around Anteros cautiously making his rounds to his home bound patients. He knew there was nobody in the Kingdom that was suspicious of his actions but he felt nervous nonetheless. Adam prayed his calm exterior would remain as he approached the house where Keira and her false family lived. He looked around, making sure he hadn't been followed by someone that had somehow managed to see through his mask of confidence. The Knights were still at the other end of the Kingdom. There was no way they'd reach her home today. Adam hesitantly knocked on the door and waited in anticipation for an answer that seemed to last forever. David was rather surprised to see Dr. Park standing on the other side of the door. His injuries sustained during the attack had long been cleared.

"Dr. Park?" David asked questioningly. Adam grabbed the confused man's hand and shook it firmly.

"You're looking well David. Let's have a closer look at you inside." Adam said as he let himself into the home. David nodded and closed the door behind himself, following the young doctor inside.

"I'm sorry Dr. Park but what exactly are you doing here? I thought you cleared me months ago." David asked as Adam hastily checked every room of the house before settling down in the dining room where the family was watching him completely baffled over his actions.

"You're fine David. I'm here to discuss a very big problem with you and your family."

"Oh my. What is happening?" David's wife asked worriedly.

"The King has found out about Keira's existence. As we speak, the Knights are going house to house trying to find her. They don't know what she looks like or what her name is. The only thing they are asking families to provide is proof of birth."

"What will we do?" David asked, apprehension starting to show in his voice.

"The Knights will not make it out to this end of the Kingdom tonight. You will need to have Keira fake an illness and bring her to me in the infirmary. I will pretend to treat her for several hours. Tonight, I will sneak your family out to the castle gardens and we will escape together."

The invasion by the Knights came so suddenly that everyone was taken by surprise. Furniture was knocked over as they rushed into the small home. Both David and Adam were roughly pushed to the ground and had their hands quickly bound by the Knights. David's wife cried out in terror as she cowered in the corner holding onto her children tightly. _No! They aren't supposed to be here yet!_ Adam thought frantically as his blurred vision started to clear. He had banged his head pretty badly when he was violently apprehended. The sounds of the intrusion replaced the ringing in his ears.

"Please don't take her. She's just a child!" David's wife cried as the Knights dragged Keira away from her protective hold. The room suddenly became silent again and Adam wondered if he had gone deaf. His worries subsided a bit when he heard heavy footsteps from the hallway growing louder. He wasn't deaf but he was most certainly fucked.

"Oh this is rich." Nicholas said as he walked into the very crowded dining room. He called off the search for the child when he forcefully got his answer from Kat. He had been surprised to see the Prince's cousin approaching the house ahead of him but assumed he was just doing his daily duties as the Kingdom's number one, albeit biased, doctor. Nicholas and the Knights quietly approached the house after he went inside. Nicholas couldn't believe that he had been lucky enough to hear the entire plan for the escape. He felt even luckier knowing that not only had he found the child but had caught the semi-royal member red handed.

"Hello there Doc." Nicholas smirked as he looked down his nose at the bloodied and bruised man. Adam let out a defeated sigh. It was over.

Tommy's part of the plan had been completed with the help of Rocky and his escort. He hated bringing Rocky into this mess but he needed to get those horses out there. Surely Adam had finished talking to Keira and her family by now. All that was left was for them to escape tonight. Tommy would deal with the repercussions of his actions once they were all safe and away from Anteros. The worry that had been eating away at him was beginning to slowly ebb away as the trio made their way back to the stables. The sounds of the kingdom's usual hustle and bustle mixed with Rocky's whimsical chatter. The lulling hum of their mixture was causing Tommy's mind to turn into a muddled daze as they walked. Sleep would have taken over his body had it not been for the unexpected sound that suddenly caught Tommy's attention. Somehow, above all of the racket, a soft whimper reached his ears. Somewhere nearby a woman was crying quietly. Rocky was surprised when Tommy's pace quickened and turned in the direction of a nearby alley. Tommy paused when he came upon Kat's dejected form. She sat in a shuddering heap on the ground in the dark alleyway. Thirty minutes had passed since Nicholas had gotten what he wanted from her. Once her breathing had calmed down and returned to normal, she reached up and gently touched her neck, as if to check it was still there. He had almost killed her. Hell, he would have if she hadn't confessed. Kat tried to shake off the unnerving feeling of being so close to death but it was too overwhelming. Tears streamed down her face as she sat on the cold hard ground. Tommy knelt down beside the broken girl and gently touched her arm. Kat immediately pulled away as if his touch had burned her.

"Kat what happened to you?" Tommy asked with worry. He might not have agreed with some of her actions in the past but it didn't mean he wanted to see her hurt. Kat slowly looked up at Tommy when she heard his soft voice. Why? Why was he treating her with such kindness? She had done nothing but lie and betray him. Kat's eyes widened in horror as the realization of what she had done came to her mind.

"No!" She shouted as she pushed Tommy away from her. "Get away from me! I'm not worthy of your kindness!" Tommy was beyond confused. What had happened to her to make her react this way?

"Kat calm down!" Tommy said sternly as he firmly held her arms down by her sides. "Tell me what happened." Kat looked up at Tommy sadly. The tears streamed down her face as she opened her mouth to explain what she had done but not a sound came out. Tommy let go of his hold on her and gently wiped the tears from her face. It was then that he noticed the mark on her face and the bruises around her neck.

"I'm sorry." Kat finally managed to choke out. "He made me tell him where she was."

"She?" Tommy asked. He could already feel his heart racing with apprehension.

"The girl...her sister." Tommy could feel his heart sink. Were the fates against him? Had he really sinned so much as a child to be punished like this? Tommy shook his head to clear the overly emotional thoughts that began to flood his mind. Now was not the time to think that way.

"You." Tommy said strictly as he stood and looked over at his escort. "You are no longer in charge of me. You will take this woman to the medical ward. I have some business to attend to."

"Like hell I will! I have orders to follow and I will not stray from those orders." The defiant Knight said as he stood his ground.

"There is no need to watch me anymore. Spyro has found what he was looking for." The Knight was taken aback by the Prince's words. If what he said was true then that meant that Nicholas was also telling the truth about where the Prince's loyalty lied.

"So you are betraying your own Kingdom for your whore." The Knight spat hatefully as he looked down upon his Prince. Rocky began to walk to the offensive Knight to teach him some respect but was beaten to it by Tommy. The Knight had not expected the punch that landed square on his jaw.

"I am still the Prince of Anteros and I will not be spoken to so disrespectfully!" The Knight looked up at the Prince from the floor. Never had he seen him look so angry. Tommy held his hand out to help him stand which the Knight took with a bit of a shaky hand.

"I'm going now. Take her to Adam." Tommy said firmly before hurriedly taking his leave. A million things rushed through his mind as he ran back to the castle. What was he going to do to convince his father to let her go? Was there anything he could do? What was going to happen to Keira? Would Kim also be punished? Tommy did his best to gather himself before entering his father's chambers but no amount of preparation could have readied him for the scene he saw before him when he opened the doors.

"Father! What's the meaning of this?" Tommy asked but lost confidence halfway through his question when he noticed both Keira and Adam were being led to stand before the King. Both had their hands bound behind their backs and both were pushed down to their knees as they were placed in front of the King.

"Sire, we have apprehended the elusive child as well as a traitor." Nicholas began smugly. "We caught him with the family discussing their escape plan." King Thomas had listened to the report but his eyes were focused on his bewildered son whom still stood at the entrance to the throne room. Was he going to deny this? Was he going to stick up for the child? Was he going to lie again? The King sighed as his son remained frozen in the back of the room.

"Send her to the dungeon." King Thomas said in a very cruel voice. It was then that Tommy's senses came back to him. He was not going to allow this to happen.

"Father you can't possibly believe this nonsense?" Tommy asked as he quickly approached the throne.

"And why shouldn't I?" The King asked apathetically as he stared coldly at his son. Tommy faltered for a moment when his eyes met with his father's. There was something very different about him. There was an emptiness in his eyes that had not been there before.

"You have no proof of any of this." Tommy said as he looked away from his father.

"Nicholas says it is true."

"You'll trust him over your own son?" Tommy asked in a challenging manner.

"Of course I will. He hasn't lied to me."

"So all of your trust in me is gone because I hid a _child _from you?" The way Tommy said it made it all sound so unreasonable.

"Fine. You want me to trust you?" The King said as he stood and approached the child in question. He roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her to Tommy. He pulled back the child's messy hair so Tommy could clearly see her face. "Is this the daughter of Gabriella and Kenneth?" The King asked. He had been very insulted by his son's tone. If he wanted to earn his trust back he'd have to make sure to tell the truth.

"No." Tommy said steadily without hesitation.

"I will not be lied to again. Is this the child?" The King was losing his patience.

"NO!" Tommy yelled. There was a tense silence as the two stared each other down. Tommy had to make his father feel as though there could be a chance that she wasn't the right child. He'd have to let her go if he was still unsure. For a moment, the King felt himself having doubts but it all went away when he glanced over at Nicholas who stood off to the side shaking his head. King Thomas let out a very tired sigh before turning and pulling Keira back to the Knights. So his choice was to continue lying to him? Regardless of whether or not the child was in fact the right child didn't matter anymore. He needed to teach his son a lesson.

"Take her away."

"Father she is just a child!" Tommy pleaded as he ran to his father's side.

"What shall we do with him Sire?" Nicholas asked as he pulled Adam up to his feet. Now that Tommy was closer he could see the scratches and bruises on his cousin's face. Nicholas had made sure to repay the kind doctor for all of the "care" he had given him in the past. King Thomas looked over his nephew from head to toe with disgust.

"What about you boy? Will you also lie to me?" He spat as he glared at Adam. Adam stood silently. There was no point in arguing with the man. He had obviously lost him mind and was convinced that everyone had betrayed him.

"Father, have you gone mad? You know Adam had nothing to do with this. He was making his rounds!" Tommy tried his best to remain calm but he could no longer keep his cool if his cousin was in trouble. He was fighting a losing battle and he knew it.

"Take him to the dungeon as well. He belongs with the rest of those traitors." The King said as he ignored his son's excuses. The frustrations of the day had caught up with him and he was thoroughly exhausted. He turned away from the criminals of Anteros, the Knights, and his disloyal son. Tommy resentfully watched as Adam and Keira were led away. Why? How could he have become so weak that he couldn't even protect his own family and a child? When had he become this weak?

"Maybe this will teach you not to lie to me again." The King's harsh words rang out through the silence of throne room.

"If it's the truth you want then here it is. **I** am the one that has lied to you. **I** knew of the child's existence. **I** knew she was in Anteros. **I** saved her and her family from an attack by the rogue warriors. **I** told her she could stay in Anteros. **I** told her I would protect her. **I** arranged for her escape! **I** am the one who has betrayed you so punish me and no one else!" Tommy yelled. He didn't care anymore. He would take whatever punishment his father was going to give him. Tommy looked up at his father when he received only silence as an answer. Little did Tommy know, but this was his punishment. His father knew that his son was strong and could handle anything except any harm coming to those that he greatly cared for.

"Please." King Thomas stopped in his tracks when he heard this word escape his son's lips. "I'm begging you. Stop this." The King turned and sent an icy glare at his son.

"Kings do not beg." He said before leaving his son alone in the throne room.

* * *

><p>AN: Oh noooooo not my Adam! oh, and Keira too. lol Poor Tommy, nothing is going right for the poor guy. Ah but that's how it goes with my stories for some reason. Sadly, I really enjoy torturing that guy lol. I gotta say every story I've written (and never posted :P ) have had him getting the raw end of the deal. Oh well, yall seem to enjoy it as much as I do so that's awesome! Well, we are getting close to the homestretch folks. That's right. Only two more chapters to go. Are you all ready? I hope it doesn't disappoint. Till next time.

A/N 2: So I've had this chapter done for quite some time but didn't want to post it till I finished the last few chapters. Unfortunately, endings really give me hell and I still haven't been able to finish it OTL. Also, I kinda got sidetracked by another T/K AU fic that I'm working on. I will do my best to give you guys the updates as soon as I can. Really glad you all enjoy the story.  
>~Lina<p> 


	15. 14: Falls Apart

-Chapter 14: Falls Apart-

The sound of the door slamming shut pulled Tommy out of his daze of disbelief. Everyone had left. He was now alone in the throne room. It really was all over, wasn't it? Adam had warned him but he didn't listen. And now Adam was being punished for his mistakes. And Keira. He had sworn to protect her but now she was sharing the same fate as her mother and father. Nothing could be said or done to change his father's mind. Tommy clenched his fists and let out a low growl. The sorrow he had felt seeing his cousin and his half sister being led to their fates had left his body and was replaced with anger. No, not anger. He was far beyond that now. Resentment…Rage….Fury. Yes, that was it. Tommy was furious. Furious with his father's decisions…with everything Nicholas had done to him… but more so, he was furious with himself for allowing it all to happen.

"What's wrong Young Prince?" The all too familiar, cocky voice spoke up from the shadows.

"Upset that things didn't go your way this time?" Nicholas asked in a mocking tone as he approached the Prince who had yet to turn and face him.

"Or are you more upset that your father has more faith in me than he does in you?" Nicholas smirked as he placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"You know, I do believe I have more power and more say in this Kingdom than you do now. Hmm…What should I do with all of this power? I suppose I could go give that idiot doctor some more of the 'medicine' I prescribed him earlier today." Nicholas said waiting for any sort of response from Tommy. He frowned a bit when he only received silence.

"Oh I know! I could take the girl in as my slave and teach her what she'll be good for in the future. I wonder if she'll be as easy as her big sister." Tommy had been suppressing the urge to kill the bastard Knight but enough was enough.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Tommy yelled as he pulled out his sword and swung it at the unsuspecting Knight. Nicholas jumped back with barely enough time to dodge the surprise attack. He let out an infuriated huff when he reached up to touch his chest only to feel a large gaping hole in his shirt. If he had been any slower, he'd be laying in two pieces on the floor right now.

"Let's go Tommy. I've been waiting for this for a long time now." Nicholas said, smirk in place, as he pulled out his sword. The two went at their battle for quite some time. Each leaving the other with several new cuts and wounds. They probably would have settled their score had the other Knights not shown up and pulled them apart. Tommy struggled against the Knights that had been swayed by Nicholas as they dragged him out of the throne room.

Kim worriedly paced around the room trying to keep herself busy with mindless cleaning and rearranging. She had awoken to a brightly lit and very empty room. Usually the sun or the small noises Tommy would make as he got ready for the day would wake her. But not today. It was well into the afternoon when she woke up. Somehow, it seemed as if her body didn't want her to wake up that day. Today was supposed to be a good day. Keira and her new family were going to get out of Anteros and Adam was going to protect them. So why was it so hard for her to push back the feeling of dread that had been eating away at her? Was it just because she wasn't able to see Tommy before he left or was it something far worse? Kim got her answer when the door suddenly flew open. She ducked behind the nearest counter and grabbed the closest thing she could find as a weapon. If she had to fight her way out of the room with a broom then she would. She heard something land hard on the floor before the door was closed once again. Slowly, she peeked up over the counter she had hidden behind only to find that the thing that had been so roughly thrown into the room was Tommy. She tossed aside her makeshift weapon and rushed to his side.

"Tommy! Oh my god, what happened?" She asked as she gently touched his shoulder. He groaned as he tried to push his tired and battle worn body up to a sitting position. Kim let out a small gasp when he sat up and she was able to see his many wounds.

"Kim…I...I'm…" Tommy started to say but was cut off when Kim suddenly stood.

"You can talk to me later. Right now I need to clean those wounds." She said firmly before going to his room to get what she needed to take care of him. The two remained silent as Kim disinfected and dressed his wounds. There was so much he wanted to say to her and there were so many questions that she wanted to ask but neither were ready to discuss the events of the day just yet. It was obvious that things had not gone according to plan. Kim had just finished wrapping bandage around the last gash on his arm when she was suddenly pulled into a breath-taking embrace.

"Tommy…I..I..can't breathe." Kim strained to say. He loosened his tight embrace on her only slightly. He didn't want to let go. She was the only thing he had left in his life. He had lost everything else. He wouldn't be able to take her leaving him as well.

"I'm sorry." Tommy finally said after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "I wasn't able to protect anyone." He admitted sadly. Kim pulled her arms free of his strong hold and wrapped them around him, gently pulling him closer to her.

"You protected me." She whispered tenderly into his ear. Tommy was at a loss for words. For some reason, he had been expecting her to cry or yell at him for being such a failure but instead she was comforting him.

"I…I don't know what to do anymore."

"You'll figure it out. I know you will." Tommy could feel Kim's body slightly shaking against him. "You're not a quitter. So please, don't give up." Kim said trying to keep her tears at bay. She was doing her best to be strong for him but the tears were not going to be held back any longer. Tommy felt the wet drops of sadness fall onto his shoulder as she desperately held onto him. Any sorrow that he had held from losing his battle quickly dissipated. She still believed in him and that was all he needed.

"I won't give up. I promise." Tommy said as he held her just as tightly as she held him.

Sleep had eluded Tommy that night. Every time he closed his eyes the same scene would play out. Keira and Adam being led away with him standing there doing nothing. The first rays of sunlight lit up the bedroom as sleep finally decided to force itself upon his weary mind and body. Tommy woke with a start when the ringing of the bells reached his ears. He groaned as he tried to quickly push his battle worn body off the bed. Those bells never signified anything good. They were supposed to be for emergencies only. Something big was happening. Tommy ignored the aches and pains and hurriedly dressed himself.

"Tommy? What's going on?" Kim asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." He said trying his best not to let the anxiety show. Tommy was out the door in a flash. He joined the crowd of confused and worried citizens of Anteros as they slowly made their way to the square in front of the bell tower. He felt the same way the citizens did but didn't let it show on his face. Tommy was surprised when he felt an hand on his shoulder.

"Young Prince Tommy. What are you doing down here? You should be with your father." Nicholas said as he led Tommy out of the crowd toward the empty part of the square where the King usually made his important announcements.

"What the hell is going on Spyro?" Tommy asked hatefully as he pushed Nicholas' hand off his shoulder.

"You don't know?" Nicholas said with mock surprise. "The King has some big news to share with you and everyone else." Tommy didn't like the evil smirk that spread across the deranged Knight's face as he spoke. Nicholas was hiding something important from Tommy and if it was news that was pleasing to him it would definitely not be good news for Tommy.

"Enough with the surprises. Tell me what the fuck is going on!" Tommy demanded as he pushed Nicholas back against the bell tower wall. Tommy heard the surprised gasps that came from the citizens as he assaulted the Knight but he had had enough of the secrets.

"Temper, temper young Prince. Do you really want your citizens to see us fight and watch you get led away by the Knights that are supposed to be loyal to _you_?" Nicholas said in a sarcastic whisper. He had kept his hands to himself. He hadn't started a visible fight. If Tommy beat down the supposed innocent Knight in front of his citizens what would they think of him?

"That's enough you two." King Thomas said as he walked out of the bell tower. Tommy roughly let go of Nicholas and turned to follow his father. The King waited for the crowd to become silent before he began his announcement.

"My citizens of Anteros. I have gathered you all here to make a very important announcement. But before I do so, I want you all to understand one thing. Anteros is a strong Kingdom. It is a strong Kingdom because we are here to uphold what is right. We are not a Kingdom that will tolerate disrespect and treason. Danae was made aware of this when their King betrayed me and my family. Although we are a strong Kingdom, we are not brutal. We know the citizens of Danae were not at fault. Your King betrayed us. Not you. So, we welcomed you all into Anteros with warm and open arms. But to remain strong, we must continue to defend what is right and prevent the chance for anymore betrayal to occur. Thus, at the end of this week, we will execute the royals of Danae." Tommy turned to his father with a shocked look as gasps and cries rose from the crowd.. How could he do this? The King turned as he finished his speech and made his way back to the castle with his Knights following close behind.

"See aren't you glad I didn't ruin the surprise?" Nicholas said scathingly as he walked past the stunned Prince.

It was the roar of the crowd that caught the Knights' and the King's attention. They hurriedly walked back to the square only to find Tommy and Nicholas caught up in yet another intense sword fight. King Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose and ordered the Knights to step in and stop the nonsense.

"Bring those two to me at once." King Thomas said angrily as he turned once again and left. Tommy didn't care that the citizens had witnessed the brawl between himself and Nicholas. He could have cared less if they had seen him kill the evil Knight. The Knights quickly stopped the battle between the two and led them both back to the castle with their hands bound behind them. The last thing they needed was having one of them get loose and kill the other before the King had a chance to reprimand them. King Thomas sat in his throne looking rather displeased at the two. He sent a nod to the Knights holding Nicholas and they released him. The prick of a Knight sent Tommy a victorious look before leaving the throne room.

"What were you thinking fighting like that in front of the entire Kingdom?!" King Thomas asked angrily.

"Me? What about you?! You cannot execute them!"

"And why not? This should have been done the second they were captured."

"Father, they did betray us but it was not a betrayal worthy of death! And Keira. She's only a child. You spoke of not being brutal. Of not punishing those who were not at fault. You are going to punish her for a crime she did not commit!" Tommy was desperately trying to reason with his father. He had to stop this from happening. King Thomas was silent for a few minutes as he thought over what Tommy had said.

"Was she not the reason you joined me in attacking Danae?" King Thomas asked seriously as he approached Tommy who was still being held by the Knights.

"You were so willing to punish her for someone else's crimes back then. What has changed your mind? Or rather _who _has changed your mind? Have you been persuaded by your slave? Is she really such a good fuck that you'd betray your own Kingdom?!" Had Tommy's hands not been restrained he was sure he would have punched his father for his last statement. King Thomas could see the hate his son now held for him and it made him chuckle. In his mind, the feelings were mutual. He no longer knew this boy who called himself his son. "Go back to your room, calm yourself with your slave, and don't do anything stupid. One more act of treason from you and she will join the rest of her family." King Thomas said calmly as he pat Tommy on the shoulder. Strangely, it was the calmness in his father's voice that scared Tommy the most.

Once again, Tommy found himself being led back to his chambers by the Knights. His mind was in much more of a frenzy now. Things had gotten completely out of hand. Why couldn't his father see that what he was doing was wrong? Tommy's worried mind went blank when he reached the door to his chambers…..Kim. She was on the other side of the door, no doubt worried out of her mind about what was going on. How was he going to tell her? How _could _he tell her? He had caused her enough pain to last her a lifetime, she didn't need this as well. Tommy took in a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. _Fuck! _He cursed his own cowardice as he pulled his hand away. He couldn't go in. He couldn't face her. Why? Why did it have to be this way? What had either of them done to deserve this kind of punishment…this hopeless fate? Tommy placed his hands on the door frame and rest his forehead on the door. _Think damnit!_ There had to be a way to stop this madness. Convincing his father to stop was no longer an option for **that **man was no longer his father. He had become something else…something evil. If Tommy wanted to end this he would have to do it on his own.

Kim looked up from her position on the couch when she heard the door slowly opening. She had been a worried mess since Tommy rushed out of the room earlier. He tried to look calm but she knew as well as he did that the bells were never a sign of anything good. Tommy stood silently in the open doorway for a few seconds before approaching her. He took in one calming breath before he spoke.

"Come with me." He said in a steady voice as he held his hand out to her. Kim looked from his hand to his face looking for any sign as to what was happening. His face, however, revealed nothing to her. Kim reluctantly took Tommy's hand and followed him to a part of the castle she had never been to before. It was a place hidden in a far off corner of the castle. The closer they got to their destination, the darker it became. The few lights that were there cast off a dull yellow glow that barely illuminated the hallway. Kim figured they had reached their destination when Tommy's pace slowed considerably. She squinted her eyes and peered over his shoulder hoping to find out just where they had ended up. Kim was surprised to find that they were standing in front of a large metal door with a wary Knight standing guard.

"How can I help you Young Prince?" The Knight asked suspiciously when he noticed Kim standing behind the Prince.

"She needs to see them." Tommy said assertively.

"I'm not sure if that's allowed Sire." The Knight was hesitant to let the two proceed.

"I wasn't asking." Tommy said sternly. "Open the door." The two waited as the Knight quickly tried to think of what to do in the current situation. He didn't want to disobey his Prince but then again he wasn't sure if allowing them to enter would be disobeying the King.

"Please." The Knight was more than surprised to hear that specific word come from his Prince. "Put yourself in her place and tell me you wouldn't want the same." Tommy whispered to the Knight. Another awkward silence passed over the trio before the Knight finally nodded and opened the heavy door for them.

"What is going on Tommy?" Kim asked in a hushed tone as the door slammed behind them. She hadn't like being led somewhere without an explanation but she trusted him so she had followed. But she heard what he said to the Knight. What was it about her current situation that would sway the Knight to let them go somewhere he wasn't entirely sure they were allowed to go?

"Come on." Tommy said taking her hand in his and leading her further into the darkness. Kim defiantly pulled her hand out of his.

"No. Something happened. I need to know what." Kim said annoyed with the lack of information he was providing her.

"Kim?" A small voice called out hesitantly from the darkness. "Is that you?" The voice asked. Kim's heart stopped for a brief second when she heard the voice of a young girl call out to her. Her feet hesitantly guided her through the dimly lit hallway towards the voice.

"Keira?" Kim called out still unsure if she had actually heard the voice.

"Kim!" Keira called out more boldly now that she was sure it was her sister's voice that she had heard.

"Kimberly!" A male's deep voice called out surprised as well. Kim's pace quickened as more familiar voices called out to her. She reached the end of the barely lit hallway quickly and found the cell that held her father, step-mother and sister. Arms from the prisoners shot out through the rusted metal bars to reach out and touch the missing family member that they had been worried about and missed for months. They all cried as they held each other as best as they could. Tommy's eyes had adjusted to the dark passage and watched the scene play out before him. A pang of guilt swept over him as he bitterly thought to himself how he should have allowed this reunion to happen before. Not now when they had less than a week left together.

"Don't tell me you got yourself injured again and had to come all the way down here to get cleaned up." A tired Adam said jokingly from a nearby cell. Tommy swallowed hard as another wave of guilt rushed over him. It was his fault that he was in there.

"I hate to break it to you but I'm a little short on supplies down here." Adam said as Tommy reluctantly walked to his cell.

"How can you possibly make such dumb jokes at a time like this?" Tommy asked.

"What else can I do but make jokes? I've got to make the best of it." Tommy couldn't help but smile at his cousin's never ending positive outlook on things.

"At least try to come up with better jokes." Tommy said sadly as he reached through the bars and brought his cousin to him as best as he could. The two released each other and looked upon the reunion of the Hart family. Tears of sadness and happiness were shed from the group as they spoke.

"Since I'm out of good jokes, how about you tell me what exactly is going on." Adam said in a hushed voice.

"My father…" _No. _Tommy thought, _that's not who he is anymore_. "The King has announced that he will publicly execute the royals of Danae at the end of the week."

"What?!" Adam questioned louder than he had intended to. For a brief second, the family's chatter subsided. Kim had planned on going to the two cousins to see what exactly caused the outburst but Keira caught a hold of her arm before she could walk away. Yes, they were all curious as to what the two were discussing but they were also aware of the fact that their time together was going to be limited. Adam berated himself under his breath before continuing his discussion with Tommy.

"Tommy, you can't let this happen. You **have** to talk to your father."

"I can't."

"You have to try!"

"I've already tried! It won't work! Nothing is going to convince him to change his mind." Tommy said doing his best to control his voice and temper.

"So, what's the plan?" Adam asked hoping that there was one. Tommy remained silent for a bit as he thought his plan over. It was crazy and would probably never work but it was the only option he had left.

"I'm going to get everyone out."

Kim had grilled Tommy after their visit to the dungeon had finished. Despite how much he hated lying to her, he couldn't stand the thought of her finding out the truth. He lied when he told her the bells were a warning due to rogues being in the field. He lied when he told her the guard allowed them in the dungeon because he knew the guard had a family he wouldn't want to be kept from as well. He half lied when he told her the reason they would be visiting her family everyday was because it was long overdue and unfair to keep her away from them. Everyday, the two would make the long and silent trek down to the dungeon. Three days passed before the King found out about their unauthorized visits with the ex-royals. Tommy wasn't sure which of the Knights had ratted them out but it didn't matter. He knew he was going to have to explain his actions, or rather lie to his father once again. Kim stayed in the dungeon while he made the long trip to the throne room. All eyes were on the Prince when he entered the throne room. Tommy tried not to let the atmosphere bother him but everything was so different now. This room had once held so many fond memories for him. He and Adam had played several games in the throne room when it was not in use. Each had taken their turns pretending to be King. It was once a bright and welcoming place to be. Sadly, the throne room no longer held the wonder and excitement it used to. No, now it was a cold room full of people who could only greet him with hateful glares.

"It has come to my attention that you have been making trips to the dungeon." The King said as soon as Tommy entered the throne room.

"Yes. I feel it's the right thing to do knowing you are going to kill her family come the end of the week." Tommy said using the same direct tone his father used with him. The King was surprised with Tommy's tone and blatant answer. He had been expecting the boy to lie, to give half-assed excuses, hell, he even expected the boy to beg. He expected everything but the truth. Tommy, seeing that his father was too shocked with the truth to respond, turned and started to make his way out of the throne room. He didn't want to be in his father's presence any longer than he needed to be.

"Tommy." King Thomas called out before his son could leave. Tommy turned and fearlessly faced his father. The two stared each other down, neither wanting to lose this unspoken battle of wills. The King desperately wished he could read his son's mind. Was he really doing what was right or was he actually planning something? Unable to figure out what was going on in Tommy's mind was frustrating him beyond all belief. With a huff, the King turned away from the stare down and dismissed his son.

_Tomorrow. _Tommy thought as he lay awake in bed. The week had, thankfully, crawled by at a snail's pace. The days that stretched on gave Tommy time to secretly go over his plans with Adam while also giving Kim the time that she needed with her family. Tommy's thoughts had been so preoccupied with constant thoughts of how he would execute the escape plan and all possible scenarios that went with them. Despite the doubt he held on his capability of pulling it off, Tommy knew he had to try. A soft sigh pulled him from his thoughts. He looked down at Kim's peaceful sleeping form as she cuddled next to him on the bed. He smiled down at her and brushed away a few stray strands of hair from her face. He desperately wished he could sleep as peacefully as she could. She had no idea what the King had planned for her family nor was she aware of Tommy's plan to save them. He felt awful for keeping her in the dark but he didn't want her to worry. A small pain tugged at his heart as he gently caressed her face with his thumb. He had everything planned out as best as he could. He knew what needed to be done, when he was going to do it, and how. He had prepared himself for everything except the final part of his plan. He let out a heavy sigh and tried not to think about it but it was no use. Once everything was all said and done, he would have to…

"Are you ok?" Kim asked sleepily as she stared up at Tommy. The loving caresses he was giving her had woken her but she didn't mind.

"I'm fine." He said softly. Kim could tell that something had been bothering him recently. He had become so worried and distant. She desperately wished that he would let her in. She wanted to help him overcome whatever it was that was keeping him up at night but she knew he wouldn't allow that. He was always one to try to take on everything alone. Kim pushed away her own worries and smiled up at him. She pulled his hand to her lips to place a gentle kiss on it. It was all she could do but it was enough to get him to smile back at her. Tommy reciprocated the affectionate gesture and placed a kiss on her hand as well.

"I love you Kim." Tommy said sincerely as he placed another kiss on her hand.

"I love you too." Kim said as he trailed kisses up her arm. The kiss that he placed on her lips started as a tender and loving one but quickly escalated into one with much more passion and desire. Tommy gently touched and kissed every part of Kim. If this was to be their last night together, then he wanted to memorize every curve of her body, the sound of her voice as she whispered his name and moaned in ecstasy, and the taste of her lips and skin. He held her tightly as they made love and couldn't stop the silent tears that fell as they both reached their climax. Tommy was thankful for the darkness that hid his tears from Kim. He loved her with everything he had and the possibility of no longer being with her weighed heavy on his mind. No matter what happened to him, he had to make sure she was safe. Tommy wrapped his arms around Kim and held her as she drifted off to sleep. Despite the worry he held for the following day, he couldn't fight the sleep that he so desperately needed. Tomorrow would be the day. The day he would end it all.

* * *

><p>AN: Honestly, I can't apologize enough for my lack of update. I've been swamped with work. I've been working here in Japan for over two years now. Every year new teachers come in and replace the ones that leave. Well since the newbies have to learn the ropes, I have to pick up their workload for them. I really hope they get into the swing of things quickly. I'd like my normal schedule back sooner rather than later. OTL  
>Anyways, back to the story, this chapter was originally a lot longer but I decided to cut it up into two chapters so that means there are still two chapters left for Kingdoms. Thanks again for all those that continue to read it despite my horrible update schedule. I'll do my best to take advantage of exam week and work on these last two chapters.<p> 


	16. 15: Consequences

-Chapter 15: Consequences

The sun rose that day like it had any other day. Nothing felt different. At least that is what Tommy had hoped for. He hoped that nobody would detect how worried he was as he repeatedly went over the escape plan in his head. He prayed that everything he did today would go unnoticed. Begged, to any heavenly being that would listen, that everything would go smoothly.

For the most part, everything did go as planned. Tommy and Kim were late to rise that day. They had an early afternoon breakfast before taking a leisurely stroll around the Kingdom.

_Check on the horses. _Tommy thought as he led Kim to the stables. He had to make sure the horses were still being kept in the field behind the castle gardens. A wave of relief rushed over him when Rocky told him the King had allowed it. There had not been any recent attacks or sightings of the rogues so there was no threat in having them graze in the field.

_Double check security._ The two bid farewell to the friendly stable master and made their way to the castle gardens. Tommy and nearly all of the Knights knew Kim loved being in the garden so it wasn't suspicious at all for them to be there. Tommy smiled as Kim happily wandered around the thriving garden and took mental notes of how many Knights were guarding the area as well as their posts. The two ate a late lunch after being in the garden for a few hours and then made their way to the dungeon. That was where they would spend the rest of their day. Kim would speak with her family like she had done every day for the past week and Tommy would secretly go over the plan one last time with Adam.

"Tommy." The sound of his name coming from that man was enough to stop him dead in his tracks. Kim winced as the gentle hand that had been holding hers gripped her tightly. Tommy swallowed hard before turning to face his father. So many things went through his mind as he turned and looked into the cold face of the King. _Please_, _don't suspect me. Please, don't think anything is wrong. And, for the love of God, please don't mention the execution!_ Tommy thought frantically. He was proud and thankful of the fact that he had always been able to put on the face of confidence despite what he was feeling inside.

"Are you busy?" The King asked as he looked over the Prince.

"I'm taking Kim to visit her family. Is there something you need?"

"It isn't urgent. Take her to the dungeon then come to the throne room. I wish to have a word with you." The King said as he turned and made his leave. Kim shook her hand free of the death grip as soon as the King was out of sight. Tommy, finally realizing what he had done, apologized profusely and placed gentle kisses on her hand to ease the pain he had caused her.

"What's going on, Tommy? Is everything ok?" Kim had never seen Tommy behave that way around his father before.

"Everything is fine. He just wants to talk to me and Nicholas about our _relationship._"

"Good luck with that conversation. Do try not to kill him in front of your father, ok?" Kim said laughing a bit.

Tommy smiled weakly and gently grabbed her hand again. _Another lie? _His conscious questioned. _How many of those have you told her? Do you even remember how to be honest? _ Tommy brushed away the guilty thoughts. He couldn't let his conscious get the best of him, especially not now. The two quickly made their way to the dungeon. Tommy wanted to get this dreadful meeting with his father over with as soon as possible. He placed a chaste kiss on Kim's lips before leaving her to her family. Tommy wished that the meeting with his father truly was about his and Nicholas' rocky relationship. He knew that this meeting was going to be anything but pleasant and easy. He took a deep calming breath before entering the throne room. It was filled with Knights as they discussed the details of the execution. An eerie silence fell across the room when they noticed the Prince walk in.

"You wanted to see me?" Tommy said calmly as he approached the throne, ignoring the looks the Knights were sending him.

"Yes. What are you planning?" The King asked hesitantly. Tommy was a bit taken back by the unexpected question but quickly composed himself.

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard me. What exactly are you planning? Everyone in this Kingdom knows how much you are against this execution. You wouldn't possibly let it happen. So I want to know what you're planning." Tommy couldn't help but laugh at the King's forwardness.

"You can't be serious?" Tommy asked as he laughed. His smile, however, faded when he noticed the stern look on his father's face.

"I'm not planning a damn thing." Tommy said seriously.

"Oh?" The King said skeptically. "And why should I believe you?"

"I am wholeheartedly against this execution, as you all should be." Tommy said looking around at the prying Knights. "I have thought about it. I have planned multiple coups and escapes but I'm not stupid enough to go through with any of them."

"Why not?" The King asked suspiciously. He knew his son was not one to give up so easily.

"I couldn't stop this if I tried. The entire army of Knights and my father, the King, are against me. Tell me, what chances would I have?"

"I know it's hard to believe, especially coming from me, but I've learned from my past failures. If I do attempt to do something about this, I will most likely fail once again. Failure is not an option with this. Everyone that I want to save will end up paying the price for my failure and I'm not willing to let that happen." Tommy said seriously.

The King looked over his son apprehensively. He knew his son had become a masterful liar over the years. But, technically he wasn't lying, was he? He had actually admitted to planning something but realized it wouldn't work. Had Tommy truly comprehended the fact that he could not defy him? Tommy could see his father mulling over all of the information he had given him. Did he believe his half-truths?

"If you are finished with me, I'd like to return to the dungeon." Tommy said breaking the silence. "I don't like leaving Kim alone with such untrustworthy Knights roaming about." Tommy said sending a quick glare in Nicholas' direction. The smug Knight smirked and raised his middle finger to the Prince.

"Yes, we are finished." The King said as he dismissed Tommy and joined the Knights to continue discussing the plans for the following day.

Tommy quickly made his way back to the dungeon. He had to talk to Adam. Had to go over the plans one more time. Had to be reassured that this would all work out. Talking with his cousin did little to ease the sudden fear that had risen in him after his meeting with his father. What if his father didn't believe him? What if more security was added tonight? Would Tommy be able to take on the entire army of Knights? He was pulled from his worrisome thoughts when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Tommy looked up at the confident smile on Adam's face. He believed in his cousin. He knew if anyone could pull off this crazy idea, it would be him.

"You've got this Tommy." Adam reassured as he pat Tommy on the shoulder. Tommy smiled up at Adam. He was right. Even with the crazy odds that were against him, he would not fail. And if he did, **he** would be the one to face the consequences, not them. He looked to the small window at the end of the corridor. Night was quickly approaching. The Knights had already switched shifts for the remainder of the night. It was time to put the plan in motion. Tommy approached Kim and ignored the hateful glares her father sent him.

"Is it time to leave?" Kim asked, stifling the yawn that had forced its way out.

"No. I need you to stay here. I have a few things to do but I'll be back soon." Kim agreed to stay but immediately felt uneasy. She had stayed in the dungeon alone several times but something was different about today. Something was going to happen. She could feel it. Tommy placed a kiss on her forehead before turning and making his way to the dungeon door. The sudden knock startled the Knight that was standing guard. He looked in and saw that the visitors were ready to leave. He opened the heavy door and was surprised to find the Prince coming out alone.

"Sire?"

"She wishes to stay." The Knight hesitantly looked into the dungeon and glanced over the nervous Princess. "It is her last night with her family." Tommy said sullenly. The Knight sighed and closed the door. Tommy had a small dagger pressed to the Knight's throat the second the lock clicked on the door. The surprised Knight reached for his sword but stopped when he felt the Prince pushing the dagger harder against his throat.

"Don't." Tommy said forcefully.

"Are you crazy?!" The Knight managed to choke out.

"Quiet." Tommy said in a hushed voice. "Yell out and I'll kill you. Attempt to fight me and I'll kill you." The Knight swallowed hard and winced as the dagger cut into him. "I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to." The Knight weakly nodded letting the Prince know he understood. Slowly, Tommy pulled his dagger away from the Knight and allowed him to turn around.

"Give me the keys to the cells." Tommy demanded.

"Sire, your father will kill you if you go through with this. Just take your slave and go back to your chambers. I won't say a word, I swear." The Knight pleaded. He was one of the few that still sided with the young Prince. He knew Tommy was a good man but what he was doing was suicide.

"I can't. I can't just let him kill them. It's not right. None of this is right!" Tommy said finally letting his emotions come through. "Give me the keys." He demanded once again. The Knight sighed sadly before reaching for the keys. The subtle sound of a sword being drawn was the only warning Tommy had before the Knight struck out at him. He had been quick enough to pull his own sword out to block the blow that came straight at him. Kim heard the clanging of metal hitting metal and the physical scuffle that was taking place on the other side of the door. She ran to see what was going on but was stopped by a strong arm that held her in place.

"Adam! Let go! Tommy's in trouble!" Kim begged as she tried to pry his strong grip off of her.

"Just stay here. He's fine, trust me." Kim continued to struggle against Adam but stopped when there were no longer any sounds coming from beyond the door. She and Adam watched as the heavy door slowly opened. Tommy rushed into the dungeon a little battered and out of breath. Kim and Adam could only stare at Tommy as he unlocked the cell Adam was in. He had some small cuts on his arms but they in no way had been the source of all the blood that was on his clothes.

"It's not mine." Tommy said in regards to the blood. Adam understood right away.

"Is he alive?" Adam asked hoping for the best.

"Yes. I need you to do what you can for him and help me bring him in here." Tommy turned to Kim and handed her the keys. "Release your family." He said quickly as he and Adam left the dungeon. Despite being utterly confused, Kim did as she was told. Her hands shook as she tried each key desperately trying to find the one that would open their cell. She was slightly distracted when Tommy and Adam brought in the groaning and badly wounded Knight. Adam did his best to stop the Knight's bleeding wound with the limited resources he had.

"Tommy, what's going on?" Kim asked as Tommy took the keys from her.

"I'm getting everyone out of here." Tommy said as Kim's family warily stepped out of their cell. Keira ran to her sister and held her tightly.

"Are you crazy? Your father is going to kill you if you do this!" Gabriella couldn't allow this to happen. "Tommy, just go back to your room. Take Kim with you. We are fine down here. Sure it's dark and the food is not very good but…"

"The King is going to publicly execute you all tomorrow." Tommy said cutting off his mother's rambling. "I'm not going to let that happen. I've planned this all out. I just need you all to stay quiet and follow me." Tommy said firmly. Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing. The King was going to kill her family? When had this been decided? How long had Tommy known? Why hadn't he told her?

"I'm sorry I kept this from you but we don't have time for you to be upset with me."

"Why should we trust you?" Kenneth asked suspiciously. He knew Tommy was an amazing manipulator. How else had he gotten his daughter to fall in love with him after everything he had done to her.

"What choice do you have?" Tommy asked flatly. He knew the former King despised him. The feeling was mutual. But now was not the time or the place for them to bring up issues from the past.

"If you want to live then follow me." Tommy turned to Adam who had finished wrapping up the Knight's wounds.

"He'll live but he's going to be in a lot of pain until the medics get him taken care of."

"Thanks Adam." Tommy said before kneeling down. "I'm sorry it came down to this." The Knight winced as he weakly grabbed Tommy's arm.

"Good…luck. You're going to…need it." The Knight said through painful breaths. Tommy took the Knight's sword and handed it to Adam.

"I will go ahead and clear the path. Stay back with Adam and don't move forward till I say."

The trek to the back gardens of the castle had been a difficult undertaking. The group moved slowly in the darkness and followed behind the Prince as he did his best to sneak up on the unsuspecting Knights. Tommy had no intention of slaying any of the Knights. He had desperately hoped that they would have sided with him and help him lead the group to freedom but none did. Even if they agreed with what he was doing, they knew the King would punish them severely if they even considered it. Adam stepped in and helped whenever he was needed. He knew that Tommy would rather have him patch up the wounded Knights but there just wasn't enough time. Tommy was quite winded by the time they reached the garden. He had taken out the Knights that were on duty but still felt an ominous presence in the area. He scanned the garden one last time before leading the group through it. Tommy had always thought that horses were beautiful and majestic animals but tonight they were even more so. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face when he looked upon the horses that were resting in the fenced in field. He had done it. He had actually been able to save them. Tommy was pulled from his brief moment of peace when he turned back to signal the go ahead to the rest of his group. There, behind the relieved group of ex-prisoners, stood the dark and silent castle he had once felt so at home in. The battle was far from over. From this point on, he would have to face the challenge alone.

Adam placed a reassuring hand on Tommy's shoulder pulling him from the worrisome thoughts of what lay ahead. He desperately wanted to stay by his cousin's side and help him but he knew Tommy would never allow it.

"Is there anything I can say to you that will change your mind?" Adam asked hopefully. Tommy let out a small chuckle before shaking his head.

"I have to stay." Adam nodded and looked back at the castle. He knew exactly what would happen if they all left Anteros together. King Thomas would wake, find his slain guards, and rush to the dungeon. Madness would overtake him once he realized his prisoners were gone and the one to free them had been his own son. The King wouldn't be able to live with such a failure and betrayal. He would send out his entire army of Knights to search for them. The search would never end and they would be running for the rest of their lives.

"Stay?" Adam and Tommy turned to the soft feminine voice. Kim stood before them, trying her best not to let her emotions get the best of her. She knew what Tommy meant but she wanted to hear it straight from him. Adam pat Tommy on the back as if to wish him luck and joined the rest of the family in rounding up horses for their escape.

"I'm staying behind and you are going with Adam and your family."

"There is no reason for you to stay. You know your father is going to be furious when he finds out everyone is gone."

"I know." Kim couldn't believe that he was willing to do this.

"What do you think he will do to you? Give you a slap on the wrist?" He had to realize that by staying, he was willingly allowing himself to be killed.

"I'm going to take care of it Kim." Tommy calmly said.

"No! He's going to kill you!" She had enough. Her tears flowed freely as she tried her best to make him realize what he was doing. Tommy knew that this was going to be the most difficult part of his plan but it had to be done. He pulled her to him and held her tightly. He could feel her small shaking body against his and desperately wished that he could convince her that everything was going to be alright even if he didn't believe it himself.

"Please don't do this." Kim begged as she cried into his chest. "Don't leave me." Tommy's heart broke as he listened to her pleas. He didn't want to leave her but he also didn't want her to live the rest of her life running. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it so he could look her in the eyes.

"I'm going to take care of this and when I finish, I **will **come and find you."

"Promise?" Tommy smiled down at her. He loved her more than life itself.

"I promise." He said as he gently wiped away her tears. He placed one last loving kiss on her soft lips before pulling away from her. He helped Kim up onto a horse and opened the gate allowing everyone to escape. Freedom lay before them but none wanted to make the first move. Was it really fair to leave Tommy behind to face the consequences alone?

"Follow Adam. He'll take care of you all."

"Until you catch up with us, right?" Keira asked innocently. Everyone was surprised by her sudden question. Sure, she and Tommy hadn't been on the best terms but he had tried his best to save her. Although she was a child, she understood what he was sacrificing to make sure they were all safe.

"That's right." Tommy said as he smiled at his half-sister.

"See you soon." Adam said.

"Yeah. See you." Tommy said sadly. He grabbed Kim's hand and gently kissed it one last time. Slowly, her hand slipped out of his as her horse slowly trotted away after the others.

Gabriella cried silently as she sat upon her horse. She looked back at her son one last time. He had grown so much over the years. It saddened her to think about how much of his life she had missed out on. When she left, he was a small rambunctious boy with untamable hair and a never ending smile. So much had happened to change him. But despite all of the turmoil he had faced, he grew up to be an admirable young man. No longer would he be the child she had always remembered. No, now he was a tall, strong, brave, young man who would lay down his life to protect the ones he loved and stand for what was right. She was proud of him and she loved him very much.

Tommy stood by the gate watching the group until they were no longer visible. _Promise…another lie?_ _How could I promise such a thing when I don't believe it myself?_ Tommy thought as he let out a heavy sigh. Ready or not, it was time for him to finish this escape plan. It was time to face his father.

Intense agonizing pain shot through Tommy's previously injured shoulder as he closed the gate. He looked to his shoulder to find yet another arrow had pierced him.

"Damn I missed. I was aiming for your head." Nicholas said mocking sadness as he threw the now useless crossbow down to the ground.

"Well, you can't blame me. I'm a Knight not an archer." Tommy broke the tip off the arrow before painfully pulling the rest out of his shoulder and turning to face his malicious foe.

"You know, I knew you were lying to your father but I really didn't think you'd get this far. It was a very moving farewell though." Nicholas said smugly.

"If you've been here that long, then why didn't you stop them from escaping?" Tommy asked as he pulled out his sword. He knew he would eventually have to face Nicholas.

"Because, it will make capturing them that much more rewarding for me. I want to get a good look at their faces when I tell them you are dead and that **I** was the one to slay you." Nicholas smirked teasingly. Tommy laughed at Nicholas' boldness.

"I'm a bit disappointed in you Nicholas. I didn't think you were the kind to injure your opponent before the fight. But I guess that makes sense since you can't defeat me when I'm at my best." Tommy said confidently. Regardless of his injury, he was ready for this battle.

"Talk all you want Tommy. I'm not afraid of you nor have I ever been. No matter what your condition is, I'm going to kill you." Nicholas said hatefully as he pulled his own sword out.

The sounds of metal hitting metal rang out through the night. The battle between the two rivals seemed to go on forever. The hatred each opponent held for the other could be felt with each swing of the sword. There was more to the battle than stopping prisoners from escaping or punishment for betrayal. This battle held so much hate and revenge that the only way out was for one of their lives to come to an end. Tommy had wanted to end the battle quickly but his injury was preventing him from being able to attack as swiftly as he usually would. It was this sluggishness in his attack that allowed Nicholas to eventually get the upper hand. Tommy had received a fair amount of cuts and gashes before Nicholas tripped him up. He landed on his back with a hard thud causing all the air to rush out of him and his sword to fall beyond his reach. Nicholas smirked down at the defeated Prince as he stood over him.

"All talk." Nicholas said shaking his head disappointingly. He placed his foot on Tommy's injured shoulder and pushed down causing the Prince to groan.

"Come on Tommy. Let me hear it. Let all of Anteros hear it. Let everyone know that **I** have won! That **I** am better than you!" Nicholas laughed madly as he pushed down harder. The pain was excruciating but Tommy didn't want to cry out. He didn't want to give the crazed Knight the satisfaction.

"As much as I want to kill you, I really wish you could be here to see the look on your precious slave's face when I tell her what I did to you. I want you to see her look of disappointment and then I want you to watch as I ravage her like I should have done so long ago. But I suppose it's better if you are gone. I don't want you to get in the way again. With you gone, I'll have her to myself over and over and over again." Nicholas laughed as Tommy grit his teeth through the pain and anger that welled up inside of him. He mustered up all the strength he had left, grabbed Nicholas' foot and pushed it away causing him to lose his balance. The crazed Knight's laughter quickly subsided when he fell to the floor. Tommy quickly rolled over and grabbed his sword. Nicholas had already regained his footing and now stood before the Prince. The two stared each other down. This was it. One of them would walk away from this. Who was it going to be?

Nicholas charged at Tommy with his sword high above him. He swung it down heavily trying desperately to land the final blow but Tommy deflected it with his own sword. While Nicholas was recovering from the block, Tommy quickly pulled out his dagger. In one swift move, he stuck the small dagger into the neck of the unsuspecting Knight. Nicholas dropped his sword on instinct and reached for the dagger in his neck. He pulled it out and frantically tried to cover the wound with his hand. He was bleeding out quickly but his need to defeat the Prince weighed heavily on his mind. He reached for his sword and swung weakly with one hand before falling to his knees. Tommy swallowed heavily as he watched the life leave the man who swore to kill him. The sky was beginning to glow with a lighter shade of dark blue. His fight with Nicholas had taken longer than he had hoped. Extremely battle worn, Tommy turned to look at the castle. It was now or never. He made his way back to the castle to face his final enemy, the King, his father.

* * *

><p>AN: Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, MLK Day, Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday if your happened to fall in the time that I was gone (if I missed any holidays it's cause I don't remember all the American holidays anymore lol) I want to apologize for my lateness. I had originally planned to have this chapter up at the end of January but my Board of Education decided to give me a BUTTLOAD of work to do as soon as I got back from visiting my family in the States. It was back to work as soon as I landed back in Japan and multiple school visits with jet lag! So fun! OTL  
>So then I thought that I would upload this on Valentine's Day cause I love all my readers...yeah that didn't happen but that doesn't mean I don't love you all. It just means I'm busy. I really do love you all though. Thanks for the emails of concern. I am not dead just super busy lol. And I really am sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long.<br>Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. It was a bitch to write cause I can't write out my fight scenes like I see them in my head. Seriously, if I could draw this would be a bitching manga/comic lol. There should be one chapter left of this story that I have to write. I'm not going to give a date as to when it will be out but I do promise it will be before next year lol. If it's not, feel free to come find me and beat me up cause I'll totally deserve it. Enjoy the chapter and again I LOVE YOU ALL! *heart heart hugs hugs*


	17. 16: True Colors

CHAPTER 16: True Colors

The group of ex-prisoners had been traveling for a few hours in silence. The dawn of the new day allowed them to see all that was around but it did nothing to qualm the worry that was eating away at them. The castle could no longer be seen but were they truly safe? Were they really free from the evil clutches of the fearful King of Anteros? And what of Tommy? Was he ok? Was he alive? All of these questions were hanging in the air but none wanted to ask.

There were countless times when Adam wished he could just turn his horse around. He wanted… no… he needed to be by his cousin's side. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to Tommy. The thoughts weighed heavily on the group and kept their minds preoccupied. Nothing could be heard beyond the clopping of hooves on the dew dampened ground and the soft rustle of grass as it swayed in the gentle breeze. Nothing... No birds twittering about. No animals scurrying around trying to find breakfast. It was this eerie silence that pulled Adam from his guilt ridden thoughts.

"Stop." He demanded quietly as he frantically scanned their open and defenseless position in the field. _Damnit!_ He mentally cursed himself for allowing them to place themselves in such a compromising position. There they were, alone, in an open field, with one sword, no armor and no shields.

"What's wrong Ad-?" Kim started to question but was quickly cut off when an arrow flew past them and landed in the soft grass in front of the group. The horses reared up, startled from the unexpected weapon, causing the riders to fall off. It had been hard enough to ride the horses bareback but it was pretty much impossible to hold on without reins as the horses stood on their back legs. Adam quickly stood and gathered everyone behind him as best as he could while the spooked horses ran off.

"Show yourselves!" Adam yelled out angrily into the empty field. _Where are they?! Where are they hiding?!_ Rustling from behind the group made Adam turn and face the far away line of trees. He held his sword steadily in front of him, ready to fight and protect the people Tommy had entrusted to him. Slowly, a small group of rogues came out and approached the group.

"Calm down hero." A tall, dark skinned rogue said playfully. "We're not going to hurt you."

"You could have fooled me. What was with the arrow then?" Adam asked angrily, not letting his guard down as he eyed the man walking towards him.

"We had to get your attention somehow." A very confident and attractive young brunette said as she approached Adam's group, bow at the ready should he try anything. Adam couldn't take his eyes off the slender warrior. He was having a hard time figuring out what it was about this woman that entranced him so. Was it her stunningly beautiful face and fearless attitude or the simple fact that a female warrior existed? She had to have been extremely strong and skilled to make it to such a high position. The woman looked over Adam as she came to a stop in front of him and his group. Beauty or not, she did attack them.

"Couldn't have chosen a less deadly way?"

"Sweetie, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead." She said crossing her arms over her chest not looking too pleased with him.

"Ok, that's enough flirting you two." The dark rogue said again. The female rogue's face quickly reddened as she turned to glare at the one who playfully teased her. "What? I wasn't the one checking him out and saying how cute he was." He said giving her a wink.

"Zack, you asshole!" The girl yelled before jumping at him. Two other rogues held her back as she continued to yell profanities at the playful rogue while he continued to tease her.

"Calm down Joy. You don't want your new boyfriend to see your bad side already." Zack laughed as she struggled to free herself from the two holding her back. Adam, and the rest of his group, could only stare in bewilderment as the two rogues continued to behave in such an immature manner.

"Both of you shut up!" A more serious female yelled out as she took a closer look at the people standing before her. Her long, straight black hair blew in the breeze as her eyes scanned over each person in the group.

"What is it Trini?" Zack asked, playfulness now completely gone.

"Aren't you the former royals of Danae?" Trini's asked, eyes going wide as the realization hit her.

"And what if they are?" Adam asked holding his sword steadily, making sure no one took a step closer.

"We'll put ours away if you do the same." Zack said placing his sword back in its sheath. There was no need for this encounter to get ugly.

"Adam, I don't think they are going to hurt us." Kim said softly as she placed a calming hand on his shoulder. Adam looked over the rogues warily as each one put their weapons away. Joy, the female who supposedly thought he was cute, huffed as she placed her arrow back in the quill and swung her bow over her shoulder.

"Happy now?" Joy asked sarcastically giving Adam an impatient look. He nodded slightly as he too put his weapon away. Trini quickly pushed past him and hugged Gabriella and Kenneth. Everyone was surprised by her very unexpected display of affection.

"I'm sorry." She quickly apologized as she wiped a tear. "I lived in Danae with my family. We fled when the Knights of Anteros attacked. We were picked up by a group of people we thought were rogues but it turned out that they were Knights from Themis. We've been living there this whole time."

"I'm also from Danae." Joy said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "We thought you were all dead."

"We would have been if we had stayed there any longer." Kenneth said. "King Thomas planned on executing us." Surprise and anger could be seen on the faces of the rogues. Had the King of Anteros completely lost his mind?

"We need to get back. King Scott will want to hear about this." Zack said in a hushed voice to the rest of his group. "Please, follow us to Themis. You'll be safe there." The group hesitantly agreed to follow them. The Knights offered their horses to the weary escapees. All but Adam opted to take the horses. He preferred to be on his own two feet especially if a surprise attack were to happen again.

"I'm glad we ran into you and not the rogues." Kim said hoping to break the tense silence that seemed to be emanating from the rear where Adam and Joy were.

"We are the rogues." Zack said with a laugh.

"It's all just a huge misunderstanding." Trini said calmly when she noticed the group tense up a bit. "You see, Themis is a Kingdom that is very different from the others."

"How so?" Kim asked curiously.

"Well, our royals are chosen by the people not bloodline." Trini explained. "When the King or Queen are ready to retire, we hold an election and choose a person we think is worthy of ruling our Kingdom justly."

"The former King thought this was an excellent way to run a Kingdom and tried to spread word of it throughout other kingdoms. Unfortunately, rulers from other kingdoms didn't agree with this new way of thinking and decided to refer to our Knights as rogues. With the new title, people feared us and would often attack before allowing us a hearing with their ruler."

"Not once have we ever attacked a kingdom or a village. People will just hear that we are in the area and the rumors begin." Zack said defensively as he remembered being treated unjustly simply because he was a 'rogue.' A wave of ease washed over the group as they discussed the truth behind the rogues but the two figures trailing in the back still held an air of tension over them. Adam did his best to ignore Joy but he could feel her glare burning into the back of his head the entire time.

"What exactly is your problem with me?" Adam finally asked, breaking the silence.

"My problem is you're too damn slow. Just get on the horse so we can catch up with the rest of the group."

"Really? That's why you're glaring at me?"

"It's one of the reasons."

"What is the other reason?" Adam asked curiously.

"Look, I know that you're the Prince's cousin. That guy ruined our lives. He destroyed our home. The fact that I gotta play nice with you just doesn't sit well with me. Where were you when he attacked us? Why didn't you stop him?" Adam was a bit surprised by her honest response.

"Just because we're related doesn't mean that he will tell me everything he's planning. I found out about the attack the day of and believe me, I tried to stop him. He was a different person during those years. I didn't even know who he was anymore. But now, he's back to being the same Tommy I once knew. He's fighting for what's right and he's the only reason we are alive."

"What danger were you in? You're the King's nephew, aren't you?"

"The King put me in the dungeon too." Joy couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could he put his own blood in the dungeon? "The King found out about Keira. Tommy wanted to help her escape so he asked me to get her out of Anteros. We were caught and thrown in the dungeon."

"A lot has happened. Everything's changed. Tommy realized what he did was wrong and he's trying to fix it but King Thomas is too far gone. I fear the worst for my cousin." Adam said sadly.

"He stayed behind?" Joy questioned unbelieving.

"Tommy planned our escape when he found out about the execution. He slayed his own Knights to get us out safely and now he's back in Anteros facing his father alone." The two continued on their path for a few minutes in silence. Joy was trying to take in everything that Adam had said. If what he said was true, then Tommy was going to need some help.

"Get on the horse." Joy said abruptly.

"What?"

"Get on! We need to get to Themis quickly and tell our King what is happening. If we hurry, we might be able to send the Knights to aid your Prince."

Tommy quietly made his way through the darkened halls of the castle he had once considered a warm and loving home. Everything was different now. Had it always held such an ominous and somber atmosphere about it? When had it become such a place? The darkness and shadows taunted him as he walked through the empty corridors. If he went through with this, would he be able to live with the consequences. He was about to commit a crime from which he would never be forgiven. What would the citizens think of him? Would they rebel? Would they do onto him what he planned to do unto his own father? Would they understand that this was the only way out?

Tommy let out a heavy sigh as he stopped and stood in front of the solid door to his father's chambers. He grabbed the door handle but couldn't bring himself to open it…not yet. _There has to be another way!_ Tommy frantically thought as the orange glow of the rising sun finally pooled in through the window at the end of the hall. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the handle firmly. Nothing was coming to mind. There really was no other way to settle this than to face his father, right here, right now. Slowly, he pulled the door open and stepped inside. He could hear his father's even breathing as he slept soundly on his bed. Tommy swallowed hard and locked the door behind him. His father stirred awake when the door shut and the lock clicked. Tommy wasn't trying to be quiet anymore. No, he would not be a coward and stab his father in the back.

"Who is it?!" King Thomas said gruffly as he jumped out of bed, sword in his hand instantly. Nobody ever entered his chambers without knocking first.

"It's me, father." Tommy said sullenly as he stood by the door. Why did it have to come down to this? His father eyed him warily in the dimly lit room. He let out a sarcastic chuckle when he noticed his son's blood stained clothes and sword.

"Not planning anything, eh?" King Thomas said dully.

"I had to. You left me no choice. What you are doing is wrong. Everyone in the entire kingdom can see this. Why can't you?!"

"That's enough. I'm tired of hearing this nonsense from you." Thomas said angrily. "Nothing you say will change my mind. They will die today and your precious slave will join them!"

"That's going to be quite difficult since they are no longer your prisoners." Tommy said defiantly.

"What? Yo-you…what have you done?!"

"I've done what's right." That was the last straw for Thomas. He had been betrayed by his son too many times. Thomas charged at his son in a blind fury. The sounds of their battle echoed throughout the castle. Knights, whom were now waking to take on their duties as guards, rushed to their posts completely taken aback finding their injured comrades lying in heaps on the cold ground. The few short sentences that the injured Knights managed to say was enough to determine how the night unfolded.

"The prisoners are gone."

"Nicholas is dead."

"The King is in danger."

Tommy could hear and feel the stampede of Knights approaching his father's chambers. Despite being completely exhausted from his overnight take down of the castle and his biggest foe, Nicholas, he had managed to overtake his father. Thomas lay on the floor, out of breath, while his son stood over him, sword pointed over his chest. He was uninjured but had been out maneuvered by Tommy. He mentally cursed himself for ever allowing his son to become such a skilled swordsman.

"What are you waiting for?" Thomas asked hatefully, glaring up at the man he once called his son. Tommy grit his teeth, lifted his sword and forcefully brought it down. Thomas stared at Tommy with wide eyes and then turned his focus to the sword that stuck straight up next to side. He hadn't stricken him down.

"Why?" Thomas asked in a shaky voice. Loud pounding could be heard on the chamber door as the Knights desperately tried to force their way inside to save their King from his impending doom.

"Because I'm not like you. I'm doing what's right." Tommy said as the doors burst open. For a moment, the Knights could only stare in horror. From their vantage point, it looked as though the Prince had surely slain his own father. Tommy stepped away from his father, kneeled down and slowly raised his hands above his head, surrendering to the Knights who rushed in. He was roughly apprehended by a few Knights while the others rushed to the King's side. A sigh of relief was let out by everyone once they realized he was alright.

"Sire, what should we do?" King Thomas looked at Tommy, still confused by his decision to let him live.

"Place him in the dungeon and find out where the prisoners are." Thomas said turning away as the Knights dragged Tommy to the dungeon area.

Tommy sat in the dreary dungeon chained to a wall like the 'criminal' he was. His wounds had been given minimal attention from the shorthanded medical staff before he was roughed up a bit more by his former Knights. The day seemed to drag on in that cold cell. He couldn't tell how much time had passed or what time it was when his father finally decided to pay him a visit. Tommy could only hope that Adam had gotten everyone far enough away from Anteros in the short window of time he had given them. Thomas stood scowling down at the imprisoned man. Tommy couldn't stop the smile that formed on his bruised and dried lips as he read his father's body language. It was obvious that Kim and the others had not been found. His smug, satisfying smile only infuriated the King all the more.

"Where are they?" The King's question sounded more like a demand.

"I can honestly say I have no idea." Tommy said laughing as much as his bruised ribs would allow. King Thomas growled as he angrily paced in the dark cell. He was not willing to accept defeat but there wasn't much left for him to do. His useless Knights had no idea where the prisoners had gotten to and neither did the man who freed them. There was no way Tommy was going to agree to lead the search for the prisoners, not when he knew what was in store for them upon their return. Thomas was determined to exact his revenge on the people that had betrayed him. Kenneth, Gabriella, hell even his own son had…King Thomas stopped as he mulled over his last thought. Everyone had to pay for betraying and humiliating him...**everyone.** Without a word, Thomas turned and left the dungeon. A sudden chill ran down Tommy's spine as an unnerving coldness crept into the room. Despite the dim light, Tommy had seen the madness in his father's eyes when he left. What sort of evil scheme was he planning now? In his current state, he wasn't going to be able to do much. Regardless, Tommy was going to face whatever his father had planned, even if it meant facing death.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey look at that. I didn't take forever to upload ^_^ Yay me. Also, there I go again, failing on the fight scenes...I hates them! Y'all need to just be able to jump into my mind and see if for yourselves...then you'll be able to see how badass they are...in...my...head. OTL Sorry if this chapter is a bit on the short side. I had intended for it to be the final chapter of Kingdoms but I decided to cut it in half (again). So that being said...the "LAST" chapter should be up in a soonish manner. Maybe not this week, maybe not next week but definitely before next year lol. Enjoy...I'm off to finish this thing!  
>~Lina<p> 


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